Trouble is a Friend
by Yuusha no Tamashii
Summary: She was a Spider. She was Number 4, before the Magician killed her. Now, her name is Ginger, and she just wants some peace in her life. But life has a lot more troubles to offer her. KuroroXOC. ATTENTION: SLIGHT SUE ALERT.
1. Identity

A/N: Hi friends! Hunter X Hunter has always been one of my favorite series, and I've finally gathered up my guts to write a fanfic about this series! Updates will be irregular because my priority is to finish my KHR story. I hope everyone enjoys this story!

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 1: Identity**

No more breathing; no more heartbeat. The only thing that remained lively on her dead body was the red, hot blood that still soaked her skin. The warmth of her blood felt ecstatic to Hisoka's skin. He licked the blood on the card that he held between his fingers; that was a joy killing her. He had come looking for a battle of the infamous leader of the Genei Ryodan, but he didn't expect such a thrilling battle from the Number Four member. The way that she fought to her last breath made him so excited. It's a shame, really; she was more than decent looking.

"It's confirmed; Number Four is dead," said Shalnark as he checked the girl's pulse.

Kuroro's eyes did not linger much longer on his dead member. "Hisoka, welcome in the Ryodan."

Then, her comrades left her. The friends that she grew up with in Meteor Street all left her just like that. She could not hear her comrade's footsteps come back to her. She could not see through the redness in front of her eyes. She could not smell anything except for her own blood. She could not feel anything but death. Maybe it was a relief for her to die. If her only friends could betray her, then what hope is there left for her in the world? But life disappointed her not once, but many times more.

"Are you all right, little lady?" the man squatted down next to her, pulling on her hair. "My name is Jin! I'm a hunter!"

The man smiled brightly as if he'd done a great deed by saving her the second before she stepped through hell's door. She would roll her eyes if she had the energy to.

"It's none of your business!" she exclaimed in her mind.

Life—has a lot more troubles to offer her.

* * *

The former Spider is now known as Ginger, the scrawny, doll-like blonde that Jin had saved. Hearing from Ginger that she'd want to live the rest of her life in peace, he thought he was doing her a favor again by leaving her at Whale Island. Upon arriving, Ginger thought that maybe Whale Island really is the perfect place for her, compared to the corruption in Meteor Street. But after Jin leaves her at a bar ran by a woman named Mito, her mind has changed. Ginger could easily live in the wilderness on her own, but Mito insisted on keeping her in the household. Once again, another person who thought she was doing her a favor. And then she met him, the little kid living with Mito named Gon.

This boy gave her the most troubles she's ever gotten in all her life. Always running around in the woods, dragging her with him, calling her "Ginger-nee this" "Ginger-nee that", it annoyed her so much. But for some reason, she couldn't get angry once she looked at Gon's big, innocent eyes. She'd made a promise not to kill anymore, because she felt like, somehow, Gon would be really angry at her if she'd killed innocent people.

The year came when Gon turned twelve. Gon was determined to go to the Hunter Exams. Ginger had heard about how convenient and honorable it is to obtain a Hunters License. However, it's just too troublesome for her. But life wasn't going to go easy on her.

"Ginger-chan, will you please accompany Gon to the Hunter Exams?" Mito pleaded to her as Gon was happily getting ready for his departure.

"What?" Ginger whined. "That's so much trouble! Besides, Gon is a tough boy!"

Which was very honest of Ginger. Being a former Spider, Ginger could tell how much potential Gon has. Maybe after Gon learns to use Nen, he'd grow into a beast like his father.

"But you know how reckless that kid gets!" Mito said worriedly, "Please, Ginger-chan! I will not ask you for anything else after this!"

After a long thought in her mind, she agreed hesitantly. It would be repaying Mito for all the hospitality that she's been receiving for free all this time. But Ginger did not know what she was getting herself into. All she knew was that she'll look after Gon, but she did not know about the people they might run into. If only she'd know that there would be a survivor of the Kurata; if only she'd know that Hisoka himself would be attending the exams.

Ginger sighed as she lazily got ready, dreading the troubles that were for sure to come. After all, trouble is a friend with everyone.

* * *

"What are your names?"

"I'm Gon!"

"My name is Leorio!"

"Kurapika."

"…." I stared at the short, stubby ship captain who stared right back at me. I can't believe all three of them gave out their names so easily.

"Miss, what's your name?" the captain asked me patiently. Well, since Gon already told him his name, there's no point that I hide mine. Besides, the ones here are not strong enough to be of threat to me.

"My name is Ginger," I said lazily.

"Ginger…" the captain stared at me for a while. Probably noticed the difference me and the other three. But I'm not worried that anyone will recognize me as a former Spider. After being saved by that bothersome Jin, I went and bleached my hair and bought green contacts. I knew that this disguise would come in handy one day.

Seeing as he's finished scrutinizing me, the captain continued. "Why do you guys want to become a hunter?"

"My dad was a hunter, so I want to be a hunter like him!" Gon said excitedly, raising his arm like a kid. Actually, yeah, he is a kid.

"Hey! Not so fast!" the older looking man named Leorio put up a hand to stop Gon. "He's not an examiner, so why should we answer him?"

"I'm giving him an answer. What's wrong with that?" Gon asked innocently.

"I agree with this guy," the blonde named Kurapika said with a calm voice, ignoring Lerio's nagging in the background. Really, I would ignore him, too. It's such a bother to listen to nagging, especially Mito's. "The reason that I want to become a hunter is mine and personal. I do not want to answer your unpleasant question."

Hm… I guess both of them talk too much. The captain also seems to be annoyed.

"I don't think you guys understand me clearly," the captain said darkly. "The exam has already begun!"

And then he started to talk on and on about how there are too many applicants each year, so people like him are there to eliminate contestants who can't even last in the exams. Man, I really don't like it when people talk for so long. Like Shalnark… he used to always take such a long time to talk. I sighed; it still makes me angry to think about the Ryodan. But… I do miss them a little bit.

"If you guys aren't willing to answer me, then you can all forget about the hunters exam!"

"I…" Kurapika was the first to answer, "I am the only survivor of the Kurata Clan."

The answer surprised not only the captain. Kurata Clan? That name sounds familiar.

"Four years ago, all my relatives were killed by thieves," Kurapika continued. "The reason why I want to become a hunter is that I want to capture the Genei Ryodan!"

Oh. My. GOD. I kept a cool expression on the outside, but on the inside I was actually screaming. I almost forgot! Four years ago… that big mission… and those strong fighters with red eyes! So there was a survivor? And he's talking about revenge right in front of me. I wonder if he'll jump at me if he figured out that I was one of the thieves that killed his relatives. Hell, it might've been me who killed his parents! But judging from the way that he talked about the Ryodan, there's no way he's figure out that I used to be one of them. He's still got a lot to find out.

But still… I'll apologize to you in my heart. Sorry, I killed so many of your relatives. If you want revenge, please go for Danchou and not me! He gave the orders and obviously don't consider me as a member anymore! No, I'm not bitter.

"And what about you, Ginger?" the captain asked me suddenly in the middle of my thought.

"Um…" I scratched the back of my head. "I don't really want to become a hunter. Honestly, my dream is to eat and sleep all day."

The captain, Leorio, and Kurapika looked at me as if I was insane. Gon just smiled with a drop of sweat hanging down his face. Just as I thought, the captain doesn't look too happy about my answer.

"Well, Gon's relatives have been taking care of me for about three years now, and I just want to repay them by taking care of Gon. I'd feel horrible if something happened to Gon."

That, my friends, is not a lie. Maybe it's just said to please the captain, but I meant most of it.

The captain still doesn't look convinced. "I value your thought about paying back this little boy's relatives, but the Hunters Exam isn't something that simple. You need ambition to even survive in the exams!"

"Don't worry, captain-san!" Gon said cheerily. "My Ginger-nee is really, really strong!"

Aw! This is why I like kids; they never lie! Especially one like Gon… how nice of him to defend me! But what's with the doubtful expressions, Leorio and Kurapica? I can kill you both right now, but I won't because I made a promise to myself. But then again, I should kill this Kurapica before he gets stronger and kills me. He seems like he could have a lot of potential.

Oh! Where did everyone go? Seems like something happened when I was thinking to myself. I should stop doing that so often.

I walked out unto to deck to find everyone else. Gon and the captain were standing aside, and the other two seems to be fighting. What happened?

"Gon, what's going on?"

"Leorio and Kurapica are in a fight," Gon said.

Well, duh. But I don't really care about the reason, so I'll just watch the show. Let's see if this Kurapica really has the potential. Oh, but this storm is really messing up my hair. The two of them finally started fighting after some talk. Kurapica uses two swords… I could be right. Hm? Is that a sailor that just fell over the deck? AND IS THAT GON THAT JUST JUMPED TOWARD HIM?

"Gon!"

That kid is such a troublemaker! Oh, but look, those two fighting went and saved him! Grabbing Gon by each leg. Maybe I'll go help them out, but I'm too lazy and the captain already went, so I won't go. Besides, I think I can still save Gon if he falls into the ocean. But not the other two, though, that'll be too much of a load. Oh, and I think too much, again. It seems like the two that were fighting are now friends. I walked over to them.

Leorio looked at me as he noticed that I was coming. "Hey! You didn't even help out! And you said you were looking out for Gon!"

"Well, but you guys already saved him."

"What if we didn't?"

"But you guys did."

Leorio and Kurapica looked at each other and sighed in exasperation. How in-synch! A nostalgic feeling flooded my mind for a second. When we were little, Nobunaga and Ubou were exactly like this—fighting about the most trivial things. And yet, they were also best friends. I wonder how they're doing right now? No, I shouldn't be wondering. After all, they left me to die alone at that place.

"Ginger-nee!" Gon tugged at my sleeve, "The captain is going to show me how to steer he ship! Do you wanna come with me?"

"No, thanks. If I ever need to travel on the ocean, I'll go on someone else's ship."

"Ginger-nee, Mito-san said that lazy people will never get what they want in life!"

What I want in life? You can say that I had all I wanted, but now I've already lost them. So what I really want now… is nothing, isn't it?

If I just keep minding my own business, then it would be all right. Wouldn't it?

* * *

TBC.


	2. Quiz X Two Choices X Silence

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 2: Quiz X Two Choices X Silence**

_Trouble he will find you no matter where you go, oh oh_

_No matter if you're fast, no matter if you're slow, oh oh_

_The eye of the storm or the cry in the mourn, oh oh_

_You're fine for a while but you start to lose control

* * *

_

The ship has finally arrived at Dolle's port. Once the four of us—Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and I—got off the ship, we immediately noticed the amount of people gathered at the port. They all must be the Hunter Exam's contestants. There are really quite a lot of them; I'm getting a bit curious about the Hunter Exam now. I looked back to see Gon shaking hands with the captain. The captain pointed toward a tall tree on a mountain not that far away, and told us that it's a shortcut to the exam location. Believing the captain's words right away, Gon headed toward the mountain, despite Leorio and Kurapika's warnings.

Of course, I followed after Gon. "I'm going to go with Gon. It's up to you guys if you wanna follow or not."

Not long after we've walked a while, Kurapika showed up behind us. "I'm going to tag along with you two," he said, "Leorio is taking the bus."

Oh, the bus. I really wanted to ask Gon to take the bus as well. Heaven knows how much I hated hiking, or walking in general. Back then when we were on missions, I always did my job quickly so it's not a waste of energy. Unlike Ubougin; he always liked to play around with the weak people. Man, I need to stop thinking about the Ryodan… those bastards. Anyway, I bet Leorio is going to come back later.

As we walked toward the big tree, Gon was talking cheerfully with Kurapika, telling him about the wonderful nature in Whale Island. All of a sudden, Kurapika turned toward me. "Ginger-san, you said that you lived with Gon's family for a while. But where did you come from originally?"

Meteor Street. There's no way I could say that to him, or anyone else to be exact. I really don't know how people will look at me after knowing that I came from Meteor Street. The place where people threw away everything, the place where humans can turn into monsters, the place where the only people who will accept me… are the Spiders. Besides, I don't know if he knows that the original members of the Ryodan came from Meteor Street, so I can't risk that as well. "I am… um… from the Navalla continent…"

"Navalla?" Kurapika repeated. "That's unexpected. If I remember correctly from the books, Navalla is a continent in the Southern Hemisphere where it's considerably peaceful compared to the rest of the world, right? When I heard Gon say back then on the ship that you were really strong, I expected you to come from a warrior tribe of some sort."

I laughed dryly. I really just said a random name. Who knew that it was an actual place? "Yeah, well, I was quite interested in… self defense…"

Kurapika nodded. "For a young girl, self defense is important."

Young girl? Boy, no matter how I look at you, you're younger than me. Just because I'm shorter than you and have a baby face, you think you're my elder? You should be calling onee-san like Gon! But then again, it's not a bad thing to be called young. Like Shalnark, he has such a baby face, and Shizuku as well.

"Oi! You guys! I'm coming as well!" Leorio's voice came from behind. I knew he was gonna come sooner or later. Not to mention, there has been someone following too. But judging from his scent, he's probably not strong enough to cause us any harm, so I'll just let him follow us. It wouldn't take much to get rid of him if he tried anything, anyway.

The four of us, plus the person hiding behind, arrived at a rundown-looking alley way. The road was dirty, and the houses looked sorta creepy as well. But even though there's no one to be seen, there are a lot of people here. And they are watching us. Gon and Kurapika noticed as well. Just as Leorio was trying to figure out where the people were, tens of people walked out from the doors. The children wore white cloaks and masks. In their lead was an old lady holding a strange cane, who glared at us quietly.

All of a sudden, she bellowed, "THE EXCITING QUIZ OF TWO ANSWERS!" I swear her eyeballs looked like they were going to pop out. It startled me, and also the other three. We just stood there with nothing to say while the cloaked children clapped.

"You want to go to the tree on top of the mountain, yes?" the old lady continued. "To get across, you must answer the quiz correctly. The other path is filled with bloodthirsty beasts."

The old woman continued on to explain the rules of the quiz, and as usual, I dozed off. Basically, there are two choices to the quiz, and we have to choose one. If one of us gets it right, we will all pass. However, if one of us gets it wrong, then all of us fail. Quite an easy concept, but Kurapika and Leorio started to bicker once again. "If this guy get's it wrong, then we're all doomed!" they say about each other.

"But at the same time, if one of us gets it right, we all pass!" Gon said positively. "I'm not good with quizzes, so I guess I'm lucky I have you guys!"

I guess that is the good thing about being a kid—you always think of the good side first. But then again, when I was Gon's age, I was a real pessimist, wasn't I? I mean, living in Meteor Street, I had to fight with rats for food. How can I not hate the world for that kind of things? But I guess it was just meant to be; everyone is born in different places and I just happened to be an unlucky one. Like Kurapika, he's also just unlucky that his tribe got killed.

…Although I was one of the killers. Well, maybe his case is a little different.

As we were discussing, the old lady became impatient. And so did the person that was following behind us. He finally stepped out from behind; oh, he was one _weak_ looking fighter. He came out with a sly smirk and said, "Hey, you guys are taking too long! Let me go first!" Then he eyed Gon from the corner of his eyes. "Sorry, kid! I overheard what the captain said to you."

That's great, anything else? By the looks of this guy, even if he passed through this quiz, he probably can't survive in the actual exam, anyway. The four of us agreed on letting him go first, and we listened intently for the question.

"Here's the question," the old lady began and her eyes squinted into mysterious slits, "Your mother and your girlfriend are captured by a demon, and you can only save one. Who would you save, your mother or your girlfriend?"

What… kind of question is that? I've never met my mother or anything, but doesn't that depend on who you love more? But people have different circumstances, so she's telling us to read her mind and answer to her favor? This is bullshit. The Hunter Exams is such a letdown. I'll kill this grandma if this guy answers correctly! I bet he's going to choose his mother; he probably doesn't even have a girlfriend!

"My mother," he answered (Aha!), "A girlfriend, you can always get a new one. But you can only have one mother in your life."

Oh. I have to say that's a pretty darn good explanation. But still! 'You can always get a new one'? For a person who stands beside you all the time and trusts you, you would just get a new one? But then, that's kind of what happened to me. They only replaced me… with that crazy man… and just left me behind. Even… _him. _

The old lady considered his answer for just a few seconds, and they let him through. "ARE YOU MOCKING US? THIS QUIZ IS MESSED UP! WHO CAN SAY AN ANSWER TO THAT KIND OF QUESTION?" Leorio shouted after the guy passed through. Thank you, Leorio, sometimes your loudmouth really say some good stuff. "I'm leaving! I'm going to take another path!"

"Too late," the old woman said, "If you quit now, you are disqualified. You don't have the soul for a hunter."

Well, that's unreasonable. Oh, wait, what's that sound? Sounds like the guy that just passed through… he's screaming. Sounds like he's in pain. I get it! That pathway was a trap! Looking at Gon and Kurapika, they must've heard it too. But Leorio…

"Leorio!" Kurapika tried to warn.

"Wait!" the old lady put up a hand. "From now on, if you continue to communicate, you are all disqualified!"

Wow, this grandma is really asking for it. Kurapika tried to tell Leorio to calm down with his eyes, but it seems that Leorio cannot understand at all. Gon seems to have realized, and remained quiet. Let's just hope that Leorio doesn't do anything stupid. And then, the old lady said the question.

"Your daughter and son have been kidnapped, and you can only save one. Which one would you save?"

Once she finished saying the question, she started to count down five seconds. Leorio was furious; he walked to the side of the street and picked up a wooden stick. I'm guessing that once she finishes counting, he's going to strike her. No matter; once she finishes counting, we've passed. I can probably stop Leorio's attack within half a second. Just as I thought, the old lady finished counting, and Leorio jumped at her. But before I could step in, Kurapika already jumped in front of the old lady and blocked Leorio's attack. Hm, this boy has a pretty good speed.

"Why did you stop me?" Leorio bellowed.

"Calm down, Leorio!" Kurapika raised his voice at Leorio's angry face.

"I cannot calm down! I'm going to bring a little gift to Zaban: her head! And then I'm going to kill her friends, and teach them a little lesson!" Leorio shouted on and on. Until Kurapika finally silenced him.

"We gave the right answer, Leorio!" he said calmly. Leorio suddenly stopped his shouting, and looked dumbfounded at Kurapika. "Silence—that was the answer! The quiz has no right answer because no one can answer it, so the right answer is to remain silent."

Leorio looked bewildered. "But… the other guy, he…"

"He was only told to go, but no one told him that he answered correctly." Kurapika explained. "I heard him scream a while ago. He probably got attacked by wild beasts over there in the woods. I'm sure Gon and Ginger heard him also."

"Exactly," the old lady said, gesturing toward the children who opened two large sliding doors to a tunnel-like entrance. "This is the right way."

Leorio stared at the entrance unbelievably for a while, and then turned to the old lady. "Grandma… I owe you an apology." Hm, so Leorio does have some good manners after all. These kids are really quite nice.

"I wanted to meet people like you, so I accepted this job," the old lady smiled warmly. "Hang on, and you'll become a good hunter."

With that, we departed from this rundown place and entered the tunnel. We walked in silence for a while, and all this time Gon was making a troubled face. And finally, he let out a big breath and smiled widely. "Ah! I really can't figure it out!"

The three of us looked at Gon and puffed out a laugh. "You don't have to figure it out, Gon! The quiz is over!"

But Gon thought otherwise, "But… if one day I really have to save only one person that is close to me… what would I do?"

Leorio and Kurapika were put to silence. Yes, that's the real meaning of the quiz, isn't it? Even though it's just one of the trials to get to the real exam, the old lady really wanted us to think about it. You have to imagine everything, even the worst, because to survive in the reality you can't have feelings. For me, I guess the answer to the question… really is going to be silence. Because when you think that you have somewhere to belong and you have people to rely on, you really don't know what they really think. They could just leave you behind because you're not up to their standard, or they've never really cared about you in the first place. I already experienced that firsthand. And because of that, no matter how cruel it might be, if a situation comes up and I have to save, say, Gon or Jin, I wouldn't save either.

Because when I needed to be saved, a stronger being was whom they chose.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the few that read this story and gave feedback! I'm really glad that someone is reading my story. The lyrics in the beginning belongs to the song "Trouble is a Friend" by Lenka. It's the song that inspired me to write this story!


	3. RatFox X Tattoo X Navigator

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 3: Rat-Fox X Tattoo X Navigator**

_He's there in the dark; he's there in my heart_

_He waits in the wings; he's gotta play a part_

_Trouble is a friend, yeah, trouble is a friend of mine_

-----------------

When we walked deep into the mountain, the day has already turned into night. It wasn't especially cloudy, but it was cloudy enough to hide most of the moonlight from us. We'd been walking for more than two hours, that's for sure, and we kept passing signs that read "Attention: Monsters." Before leaving, the old woman told us that there's a house built next to the big tree, and there is a couple living in it. Those two are navigators who will take us to the examination grounds if they think we're okay.

Just as Leorio was getting impatient, we arrived at the house. The house seemed too quiet. Of course, being his instinctive self, Leorio went and opened the door without much thinking. A shrilly, scratchy laugh was heard and we were greeted by a rather sly looking red fox monster. In his hand was a captured woman, and her husband was wounded on the floor.

"A monster!" the three young men next to me took out their weapons the instant they saw the monster. However, the fox was faster than expected; he dashed past us and out the door with the woman still in his arm. Kurapika and Gon chased after the fox.

"We must go help!"

"Leorio! Look after the wounded!" shouted Kurapika.

"You can count on me!" said Leorio, pointing at himself with his thumb.

I looked down at the wounded man, who was moaning out his wife's name. This guy sure has a lot of tattoos on his body. I would hate to get so many tattoos on my body. Despite being in the Ryodan for so long, I was the only one that was afraid of pain. I almost cried my eyes out when I was getting the spider tattooed to my back. It didn't hurt _that _much, but still… the idea of it just makes me shudder. That reminds me: I haven't gotten rid of my tattoo yet… not that I know how to. No one has seen my tattoo yet; I've been careful about what I wear. The only person besides the Ryodan that has seen my tattoo is Jin.

When I looked back up again Leorio was staring at me bewildered.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to help Gon and Kurapika?"

"Well, they didn't say that they needed help. And they didn't tell me to stay here, either, so I figured it's my own choice," I said. "I don't really feel like running around in the dark forest."

Leorio opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but he just shook his head and started to tend to the wounded man. I watched Leorio do his work. The man's wounds don't seem that deep, but Leorio is quite good at this job from what I know. It's a shame that the Ryodan doesn't have a specialist in healing, besides Machi's sewing job. But even if they did, they wouldn't have healed me anyway. In the Ryodan, death is the price for losers.

I wonder how Machi is doing lately. Because of the lack of female members in the Ryodan, Machi, Paku, and I had to stick together. Although, the two of them aren't the most talkative girls, or people in general, in the Ryodan. Machi, being the youngest girl out of the three of us, was especially heartless. Even toward me. Although I know that she cared for me…sometimes.

-------------

"No! I don't want it! I don't want it!"

"You have to, Shoga! It's a part of being a Spider!" said Shalnark, half laughing at me.

That was my name back then—Shoga. When the Ryodan was created, Kuroro decided that everyone have their backs tattooed with a spider. I don't understand why it had to be a tattoo. It could've been those cute friendship chains…with spider charms! That wouldn't hurt at all! Not only did I have to take the unlucky number four, I still have to suffer that big of a tattoo? Did it really have to be the size of your whole back? It could've been just the pea-sized, honestly.

"Shoga."

I looked at Kuroro. He always called my name like that, and I was silenced. I don't know what kind of magic he put on me, but I've never been able to retort what he says. He only looked at me for a second, and his eyes went back to the book he was reading. Tsk. Bookworm.

"Kuroro," I pouted with watery eyes, but he wasn't even looking. "It looks so painful."

"Call me Danchou." He said. For some reason, I think he was secretly laughing at me too. "Machi, be gentle."

"Yes," Machi replied, guiding me into the room.

At that time, Machi was really hard to approach for me. Maybe it was the way that she looked at me; she didn't seem to like me very much. She probably never approved of my lazy ways. Machi was always efficient at whatever she was doing unlike me, who half-asses whatever she can. Anyway, so we went into the room that Machi had been tattooing all the other Ryodan members. The room was filled with the smell of alcohol, and it made my nose sting.

"Wow, this room is making me lightheaded," I said. "I'm surprised that you're not drunk ye—AHHHHH!!"

Obviously, Machi didn't get my joke, and just ripped open my clothes. Well, not ripped open. Curse the back zipper. Another cold sensation poured down my back when Machi started to wipe the alcohol on me. The smell was getting really strong, and I thought I was getting sleepy.

"Machi…" I said weakly, "you're really gonna be gentle, right?"

"That's what Danchou ordered."

There were tingly, pinching feelings on my back. "Machi…do you really, really like Kuroro?"

Silence.

"I mean, if it's the brains, Shalnark can also be the Danchou, right?"

"It has to be him," Machi's cold voice said bluntly. "Shalnark would never be able to lead the Spider like Danchou."

I thought for a while. "Hmm…I guess so."

The tingly feeling stopped at my back, just along the end of my waist. "Do you think that there's a better person to be the Danchou, Shoga?"

"Hmm…no," I said lazily, the alcohol was really getting to me. "I just think that…if one day something happened to Kuroro, I don't think he would want us to put him before…_us._"

"Don't say something like that about Danchou."

"I'm not cursing him or anything!" I said quickly. "You know, things happen in this world. Machi, would you ever give your life to save Kuroro if a day like that ever comes?"

"…………"

"Answer honestly."

The crisp sound of a needle drop into a glass plate was what I got for a couple of minutes. Then, she calmly answered, "I'll do whatever Danchou wishes."

I turned my head to look at Machi and smiled. "That's good. Because if Machi died, I'll be really troubled!" I waited for a response, but I knew she wasn't going to say anything. "I really like Machi. You, me, and Paku are the only girls. We have to stick together, okay?"

The sound of door closing was what answered me. But Machi's attitude toward me changed drastically ever since that day. Others can't tell, but I know it.

* * *

"Oi! Oi! Ginger!"

Leorio's voice called me back to the present. Darn, that was a good memory, too. Wait, no, that was not. I don't care about those dumb Spiders anymore. Anyway, I looked at Leorio who was now standing near the doorway. Standing by him was the wounded husband, who know seemed a lot healthier and…has monster ears?

"…….what?"

"Are you coming with us or not?" Leorio asked, I can see sweat drop from his forehead. I really should start listening to what other people say.

It turned out that the husband that Leorio was tending to was one of the fox as well. The "wife" was also a fox monster. And there were two adult monsters; those being the parents and the other two are their son and daughter. What Leorio and I missed was that Gon had figured out the differences between the two adult monsters, and they were happy about it because it's been a long since people could tell them apart.

The daughter raised her arm and exposed more of her tattoo. "For those who wear this tattoo, the young girls of the ancestral clan 'Sumi' wear it in witness of a promise of marriage made to a god and to no one else." She pointed at Kurapika. "The wise Kurapika-san was not fooled and understood that we were not husband and wife."

"Leorio-san understood nothing until the end," the son started to say. "But he knew how to give me first aid better than a doctor! But above all, when I was worried and asking about my 'wife', he stayed confident and spoke reassuringly."

Leorio blushed at the son's comments.

"As for Gon," the adult monster said, "he walked straight ahead, showing extraordinary movement and observation!"

Oh, they all looked so proud of us. Then, the son looked at me hesitatingly.

"Um… but for Ginger-san… she did nothing except for daydreaming while Leorio-san did all the work. I'm not sure if we should take her to the testing site…"

"Ehhhh!?" Gon exclaimed.

"Ah, it's okay, Gon!" I said quickly, and turned to the navigators. "I don't need to be brought to the exam site. If you four would go ahead and take them, I'll follow from behind."

Leorio and Kurapika looked at me like a circus animal, and so did the navigators. "……If you say so." With that said, the navigators expanded their arms into wings. The adult ones grabbed Leorio and Kurapika, while the two children grabbed onto Gon. And they leapt, and flew into the sky.

Now, I'll just follow them. I jumped onto the top of the trees to where I can see the navigators, and traveled from tree to tree. Following people was something I was used to do. If I ever lose sight of the navigators, I can still sense their direction using Nen. Don't underestimate a former Spider!

"Ha! I told you Ginger-nee is fast!" I heard Gon shout in the distance.

The two adults looked at each other and nodded. "This girl passes as well. A hunter must be able to deal with situations without the help of others."

Ha. Not just hunters, everyone needs to learn how to survive by themselves. I had to learn that the way. But I've learned, nonetheless. That's right; you can't depend on your friends to help you all the time. I don't need any help. I don't need Machi's sewing job. And I certainly don't need _his_ commands to do whatever I shall do.

I could see the navigators clearly under the full moon. I followed silently in the dark forest.

-----------------

TBC.

* * *

A/N: Here's another chapter! I know these chapters are quite short, but they'll get longer as we progress. I know some of you might be wondering just how strong Ginger really is. As of now, because Gon and the others don't know Nen yet, Ginger is stronger than them in a different level. But compared to the other Ryodan members, I'd say that Ginger is not exactly the strongest member, but rather a weaker one. She got killed by Hisoka after all, ha ha. Ginger's abilities will be revealed later in the story, please keep reading until the end! Lastly, please review! I really love your feedbacks!


	4. 406 X 44 X Encounter

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 4: 406 X 44 X Encounter**

Trouble is a friend but trouble is a foe, oh oh

And no matter what I feed him, he always seems to grow, oh oh

He sees what I see and he knows what I know, oh oh

So don't forget as you ease down on the road

* * *

We arrived at Zaban in the morning. The eldest of the four fox monsters lead us into the city and stopped at this majestic building. "This building right here," he said.

All four of us had very dumb expressions by then. Of course I've seen big buildings before, but they were usually broken down, old architectures where the Ryodan collected treasures. Maybe the Hunter Exam really is something worth my time. I looked to Gon, who had the same excited expression on his face.

"Not that one," the navigator called us out of our thoughts, "it's that one next to it."

We turned our heads to where he pointed. It was a restaurant. A small, dull steakhouse to be exact. So the Hunter Exam is actually an eating contest? In that case, Ubougin should totally try this out.

"Hey, this joke is not funny!" said Leorio. "You want us to believe that there are thousands of contestants in this little restaurant?"

The navigator snickered. "Precisely."

And so, he lead us into the restaurant. Nothing looked surprising in there. There were a few people eating—they didn't look like fighters at all—and some really normal looking waiters and waitresses. The head chef asked us what we would like. When the navigator answered "steak", the head chef's expression shifted in a split second. Guess that's the key word.

"How would you like it cooked?"

"Slowly, rare."

So that was the magic word. With that said, the waitress lead us into a room in the back and the navigator left us there. In the room there was a big barbeque table with steak grilling on it. With a loud creak sound, the room started to descend slowly. It really would've been better if they made it grilled fish. I mean, steak is so common that anyone would get it. What if someone who wanted to eat steak stumbles into this place, and ended up in the Hunter Exam? Whatever. It seems like Leorio and Kurapika are arguing again about something again, and they're confusing Gon as well.

Come to think of it, these three guys here all have potential, but if that's all it takes to become a hunter, then I'm not looking forward to the exam so much. I mean, the navigator clearly thought that Gon and the others were special. But when Shalnark talked about the Hunters Exam, he didn't make it sound really hard. I'm a bit curious, but it's really a waste of my time. But then again, I'm not really in a hurry for anything.

When we arrived at the very bottom, the atmosphere changed a lot. The guys obviously noticed that the contestants here are a level higher than the ones they met. But they're not all that strong, as I studied the room. By the looks of it, very few of the contestants know how to use Nen. Although I shouldn't judge a person's ability with Nen; some people may be really strong without the knowledge of Nen at all. But one thing that's bothering me is that there are two very, very strong Nen auras amongst this room. One of them feels really familiar, and the other one feels very cold. I might have to be careful of them when I find out who they are.

"Miss, this is your number plate!" said a squeaky voice from someone below my line of vision. It was a little man with eggplant-shaped head. There are really bizarre people in this world. The little man handed me a round number plate that read "406."

Wow. Does that mean we were really late? To think that I'm later than these people, I'm a little angry. Kuroro and Shalnark have always said that it's a bad point of mine—being too prideful, but I don't think they know what they're talking about. Because clearly there are members who are cockier than me, like Nobunaga, and Phinx.

"Yo!" this time it was a voice coming from above us. We looked and there was a short and tubby man with a big square nose sitting on top of a wall. He was smiling nicely, but I don't exactly like the way his eyes looked. He jumped down in front of us and shook hands with everyone. "I'm Tompa!"

I wouldn't shake hands with him, but he didn't mind. "You guys are new, aren't you?"

"How can you tell?" Gon asked.

"Easy! I took this test for the first time when I was 10! So this is my 35th time taking the Hunter Exam!" Tompa said proudly.

Thirty-five times. Well, I'm not very surprised. I would've thought that he'd given up by the tenth time. Is being a Hunter really all that great?

"Then you must know everyone here!" Gon said, being the only one amazed by the amount of time that Tompa has taken the test.

"Yeah! Let me introduce some of them!" Tompa turned around and pointed at several different people.

First he pointed to an old man with a turban on his head. His name is Barbon and he is a snake controller apparently. Then he pointed to a serious-looking man with angry eyebrows. His name is Cherry and he is a soldier. Then there's the Amori Brothers, who just look like brats that work in the circus. And then there's Gereta the hunter. But when Tompa was going to introduce the next one, a scream interrupted him.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!!" the scream sounded painful. We all looked toward the direction that the scream came from. And when I did, my heart seems to have stopped.

It was only his back, but how could I forget his silver-blue hair, his strange clothing, his scent, and his eerie, shrilly voice? So one of the strong aura that I felt before was him. Standing in front of him was a man with his two arms cut off. The aura he emitted was telling me that he was both irritated and amused at the same time. His face turned around slowly, and I could've sworn that he saw a glimpse of me, but I'd like to think otherwise.

I don't want to believe it. He—Hisoka, the man that killed me—was also here. My eyes brought me to notice his number plate. 44. What a joke. Stealing my place as number 4 in Genei Ryodan, he now even has the number 44? I'm beginning to get angry, but I'm also mad that I have suppress my anger. There's no way that I can fight against him again. As much as I hate to admit it, the gap between our strengths is too big. I couldn't even use my ability to the fullest when fighting him.

"You have to be careful," Hisoka said in his one of a kind voice that I still haven't forgotten about over the years. "You should apologize when you bump into someone."

"Now there's a dangerous guy there," Tompa said. "Number 44, Hisoka. Everyone said that he would pass last year, but he got disqualified for killing an examiner."

Killing an examiner. Sounds exactly like something he'd do. Hisoka started to walk away, and the people parted their ways for him. I didn't realize that the palms of my hands were sweating until I can only feel Hisoka's aura very faintly. Shit. I need to avoid this man during this exam. If he finds out that I'm still alive, who knows what he would do?

"Are you okay, Ginger-nee?" Gon asked, noticing that I was sweating.

I dabbed away the cold sweat on my forehead lightly with my right hand. "I'm fine. It's just a little stuffy in here with all these people, that's all."

What a lie. And I'm wearing the least clothes among the all of us.

"If you're hot, I've got some cold drinks here!" Tompa said, handing us each a can of energy drink. I looked at it suspiciously. Like hell am I gonna drink this thing. I already learned my lesson about trusting people.

Gon, on the other hand, took a sip of the drink, but spitted it out in half a second. "Tompa! Your drink is bad! I think it's expired or something!"

Oh. That's another excuse. I dumped the whole can on the floor like Leorio and Kurapika. I wouldn't have drank it even if it were good. I don't drink anything other than water, milk, and wine. But I still prefer milk over anything.

Just as Tompa was leaving us, a screeching alarm captured all of our attention. It was a man in a purple suit… with no mouth. But he was talking. Are all staffs in this exam strange looking like this? Well, appearance aside, I can tell that this person is really strong.

"Hello, contestants!" he said, "The reception is now over!"

Maybe he just has a really small mouth until his mustache.

"Now the exam shall begin," he continued as he walked toward the dark side of the tunnel, "Now, please follow me."

A swarm of people followed behind the guy. I wonder where the tunnel leads to? Better yet, how long is this tunnel anyway? I can't even see anything in the dark.

We've only walked for a while, and I noticed that our pace is suddenly increasing. The sound of footsteps of the people in the front sounds like they've started to run. A voice from way ahead said, "I forgot to mention, my name is Satotsu and I am the examiner for the first round! I must lead you to the second round."

"I see how it is," said Kurapkia. "this is an endurance test. Running without knowing how long or how far we will be running, it will be difficult for us psychologically."

What? Damn, I hate this already. Although we're not running fast at all, I just hate anything that has to do with "endurance" or "stamina" or something along the same line. I just don't like breaking a sweat to accomplish anything at all. That's why I chose a combat style that's the easiest for me physically. Being an ex-Spider and all, I'm pretty lazy.

Just as I was thinking to myself, a little boy with white hair zoomed past us…on a skate board. Damn, I wish I brought something like that!

Leorio was furious. "Hey, kid! That's not allowed! You're cheating!"

The little boy looked back curiously. "Why?"

Oh, boy has an attitude. Well, at least he's a bit stronger than any of these three.

"You're wrong!" Gon said. "He just asked us to follow him, didn't he?"

"Who's side are you on, Gon?!" Leorio shouted.

"You should conserve your energy, you know?" said Kurapika calmly.

The boy stared at Gon for a while. I guess he's interested; they look about the same age after all.

"Ne, how old are you?" the boy asked.

"Me?" said Gon, "I'm twelve!"

"Oh," the boy said, "just like me."

Bingo.

As he said that, he jumped off his skateboard and held it in his arm. Gon looked amazed at the trick; he is so easily pleased.

"I'm Killua," said the little boy.

"And I'm Gon!" said Gon. I can see friendship sparkling. Kids make friends so easily, I'm a little jealous. But I don't even want to make friends anyway, so what am I saying?

"And you, ojisan?" Killua said to Leorio.

"Ojisan?!" Leorio exclaimed. "I'm not that old! I'm in the teens just like you guys!"

Clearly, no one believes that.

"Are you sure?!" Gon exclaimed. Leorio was furious.

In the corner of my eyes I saw the little boy turn his head toward me. "How about the neesan that's been really quiet over there?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How old do you _think_ I look?"

His eyes shifted for a split second. I guess he noticed the difference between me and the guys, so he's a little cautious. "Seventeen, probably."

Wrong. I'm actually not in my teens anymore, but I guess I should be happy that I look younger than my real age? I don't know. It still bothers me, though.

"You don't have to be so cautious," I said. "I already decided not to hurt anyone unless they're of harm to me."

He didn't loosen up. That's a smart thing to do. For a kid, I must say that he's well-trained. Unlike Gon, who's never really cautious of things around him. Although that may be a good thing. At least, that's how I want to be.

"Ginger-nee said she's over twenty!"

Damn it, Gon.

"YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS!!" All of them shouted.

* * *

I'm not good with time, but I'm pretty sure that we've been running for quite a long time now. Three or four hours maybe. Leorio was sweating waterfalls by now. I'm quite impressed, actually, to see him last this long and the others still doing all right. I also noticed that no one was behind us. And not long after, Leorio has slowed down and stopped eventually. So this is the end, isn't it?

"Leorio?" Gon also stopped running, seemingly to be waiting for Leorio.

"Gon, what are you doing?" Killua stopped also.

I stopped in my track, and so did Kurapika. What is Gon doing? He can't be seriously waiting here for him. We all stared at Leorio, who was panting really hard.

"I…" he started to say, "I'M READY TO DO ANYTHING TO BECOME A HUNTER!!!"

Having said that, Leorio bolted past us with impossible speed. Gon smiled at this and followed behind Leorio while grabbing Leorio's briefcase with his fishing pole. Killua was amazed at Gon's trick, just like how Gon was with Killua's. But I also noticed how confused Killua was when Gon stopped running.

I guess children are always more curious about other people their age. They might become really good friends. But by the looks of it, Killua seems to be raised in a completely different way than Gon. I wonder if that would be something that'll get in the way of their friendship.

It kind of bothers me. The Spider and I have grown up in the same place, but why is it that they could abandon me so easily?

* * *

Not long after, we started to run up a staircase. I guess we will be running all the way up to the surface. That would probably be a long way, since it took a while for us to get all the way down in the elevator. Not to mention that Satotsu has quickened his pace as well. Everyone was starting to get tired, except for Gon and Killua. They started to run through the people and headed for the front of the line. I separated from Leorio and Kurapkia to follow Gon, but I didn't follow them closely. They were talking to each other excitedly; I wasn't so interested. By the time they reached the front of the line, I was in the middle of the sea of runners. I figured that there wouldn't be any problems as long as Gon was behind the examiner.

I decided to run slowly and so I don't have to break a sweat. Although I was getting a little annoyed by the smell of perspiration from the people around me. So this Hunter Exam is really not that hard. I kind of wish that I could go back to the Ryodan and tell Shalnark about it. Not to mention if I went back there alive, that pervert Hisoka would be kicked out of the Ryodan. Wait a minute, I just had a bad feeling right now.

"Nn~hn?"

Shit. Don't tell me…

"What do we have here? A little kitten!"

Feeling a kind of doom, I turned around to see the mad magician running right behind me. With a few easy steps, he caught up next to me. "Do I know you?"

"I thought I did~" Hisoka smiled wickedly. "I thought you were really familiar, but you don't look exactly like her~"

"I have a very plain face; usually I get mistaken easily."

"Shoga~"

Shit! Did he find out?! That's not possible!

"Is that the name of the person you're talking about?" I tried to play it cool.

He started to chuckle in a creepy way. "Do you know that~ no matter how much a person changes his or her appearance, their scent remains the same?"

"…….."

"I noticed you when you first came in~ The way that you were looking around curiously like a cat, you're exactly like her."

"Will you shut up?!" I yelled at the man with all my guts. "Do you know how rude it is to keep talking like that to a girl?!"

He chuckled even more. "The way you immediately angry is exactly the same~"

I glared at him, seriously irritated. His eyes narrowed in an amused way.

"Nnhn~ Don't look at me that way," he said sickeningly, "I'll kill you just like how I killed her~"

"Ginger-nee!" Gon's voice came from far ahead. "We're at the exit!"

Thank you, Gon! You might've saved my life!

I didn't bother looking back at Hisoka and ran toward Gon's voice at my top speed. I didn't even notice that the people around us have all scooted away as far as they could. And what's worst was that I didn't realize that I shouldn't have run at my top speed. I could faintly feel Hisoka's aura behind me—an aura that was getting really excited.

* * *

A/N: Hi, all! Sorry for the late update! I had final exams so I neglected writing for a couple of weeks. Anyway, I just love Hisoka. He is my favorite character in the series! Well, I hope that this chapter was good. Please review!


	5. Marsh X Fear X Courage

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 5: Marsh X Fear X Courage**

Once we've exited the tunnel, we entered this misty marsh land. According to Satotsu, this land is called "Numelle." Apparently, there are tons of exotic creatures in the marsh that would love to have us for lunch. I was never good with monsters, but maybe this exam will begin to get a little more exciting.

"Please do your best to follow me," said Satotsu after his speech.

"Wait!" shouted someone from the back. "That guy is lying!"

Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the voice. It was an injured man, limping as he dragged along a monkey-like creature by the hand. He pointed at Satotsu cynically. "He's an imposter! The real judge is me!"

Now, that's a little absurd. Because no matter how I look, the man doesn't have an aura that can even compare to Satotsu's. What's even weirder? His aura doesn't even feel like a human.

However, the contestants were starting to take his word for it. Because of Satotsu's previous warning, their heads are starting doubt themselves. Especially with the monkey-man in the man's hand. According to the man, the monkey-man can take the form of any human and become very realistic. People were starting to get very anxious, but before the man can say anything more to confuse us, around ten pieces of playing cards shot out from somewhere.

Playing cards. I'll never forget them.

Three cards were stuck into the man's face, and the man was killed in an instant. The other cards, on the other hand, were stopped by Satotsu.

"Nnhn~ I see, I see~" said Hisoka, killing the other monkey-man as it tried to get away.

"The monkey wasn't dead?" the people were shocked.

"Judges are hunters who do this frequently at the jury's request," Hisoka explained. "There's nothing odd if a hunter can stop this kind of attack."

"I'll take that as a compliment this time," said Satotsu as he tossed the cards aside, "but if this kind of thing happens again, I'll have to disqualify you, understand?"

"Hnhn~ Understood~"

Like hell you understand.

* * *

The lot has begun to run again. The fog in this marsh land was so thick that I can't even see my feet. I was running alongside with Gon and Killua, who were just a little ahead of Kurapika and Leorio.

"Let's run ahead," suggested Killua. "It's smarter to avoid Hisoka right now. He wants to kill somebody and he's getting impatient. No doubt he's going to use this fog."

Sharp kid. I've been sensing Hisoka's growing aura for a while. In fact, my knees are actually trembling, but I suppressed it enough so I don't show it. Gon and Killua were not affected so much as I am. Maybe because they're still children, and they don't exactly know how strong and perverted Hisoka is.

"Killua, how do you know?" asked Gon.

"It's because he and I are the same kind of person," Killua smirked.

No. You and him are not the same. Even if you are strong and prone to killing, no one is the same as Hisoka. He is insane to the utmost extent, to the extent that my powers could not even control him. Yes, I belong to the group of Manipulation in my Nen abilities, quite similar to Shalnark. But of course every person with the power of Manipulation needs to have some form of associate. Shalnark uses his cellular phone, and I use—well, you'll see.

Sounds of screaming and pain were beginning to start from the back of us. Gon began to look back constantly.

"Gon, don't be stupid! Now's not the time to worry about them!" said Killua. "We can't even see the guys in front of us clearly. The only thing we can do is pray that we don't hear them crying."

And suddenly, I felt it. The bloodthirsty aura emitted from Hisoka suddenly burst through the fog and I felt it on my back. It has begun—Hisoka's killing rage. And for just a split second, Leorio's shout was heard. With one turn of his heel, Gon turned back around and ran toward where Hisoka was. And it was that moment of hesitation, and fear in my mind, I did not run after Gon.

It was what I came here for, wasn't it? If I don't run after Gon right now, Gon would die. And if I let Gon die, then what was the point of me coming here? But even if I went after Gon, what could I do? I couldn't beat him before; wouldn't I just get killed again?

"You made the right choice."

Killua's voice pulled me back to reality and I looked at him.

"There's no way Gon would survive with that guy," Killua continued. "I can't believe he would go for them. I don't understand."

You don't understand? I do. If it had been any of the guys in the Ryodan, I would've gone after them as well. But why haven't I gone? The Ryodan would surely laugh at me if they saw how pathetically I'm running away right now. Especially Ubougin. He would make fun of me and smack me in the head. I just knew it. Even if the Ryodan had abandoned me once before. I just knew it. Because whenever I was in danger, Ubougin was always the first one to jump in front of me and take the hit. And then he would turn around with his big, cocky smile, and bark at me, "Oi! Get out of the front line, chibi! Leave these bastards to me and support us from the back!"

They would've done it for me. They didn't do it for once, but they would've done it. They would've gone after me.

"Killua, you'll understand soon enough."

I took off in the other direction. I didn't bother to look at Killua's expression. But he probably labeled me as much of an idiot as Gon right now.

* * *

I followed Gon's aura closely, half hoping that he wouldn't be able to find Hisoka. But it was impossible, Gon was sensitive to people's scent as well. As I approached them my knees trembled even more. Hisoka's aura was becoming clearer and clearer. Finally, I was on top of a tree, and I saw the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in my life. Gon jumped right at Hisoka without any plans whatsoever. And with a swing of his fishing pole, the hook struck Hisoka's temple so hard that it swelled up in red.

I was speechless. That kid is going to get himself killed! Damn it, my legs aren't listening to me. Move, legs!

There was some exchange of words. I could feel Hisoka's aura become more excited at Gon's arrival. He's got his eyes on Gon. Leorio jumped at Hisoka from behind, but Hisoka reacted fast and punched him hard in the face. At the same time, Gon swung his fishing pole at Hisoka again. But Hisoka was faster than either of them, coming behind Gon and grabbing him by the neck. Shit! If I don't go now, it'll be too late!

"HISOKA--!!!!" using the tree stump as a boost, I shouted at Hisoka as I darted at him from the tree.

Hisoka certainly was surprised, but blocked my kick at the last second and grabbing it all the while. I shot my other leg at him, but he grabbed that one also. He slammed me down to the ground. I caught myself between my hands. Damn, that hurt. Tightening my abs, I came up fast and head-butted him, making him let go of my feet.

I stood in front of Gon, not attacking anymore. It's too dangerous to keep attacking Hisoka without a plan. Hisoka smiled eerily at us. I felt chills on my back, blank thoughts circled my head. What should I do now?!

Hisoka chuckled. "Hn~ Why do delicious fruits keep appearing in front of me on their own?"

Oh, damn you and your fruits. Kuroro was your type of fruit, wasn't he? If Gon is your fruit too, then that's just wrong. Wait, what am I thinking? I need to focus!

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to him," Hisoka said as he pointed at Gon, "He's still unripe! But little kitten…"

I felt another chill.

"It seems like you're ripe enough~"

My knees were about to give in. I can't believe I have to be killed by this damned clown _again!_ No, I can't think that way. I have to fight until the last minute! I have to attack before he steps into my range; if he goes left, I'll leap to the right. And if he goes right, I'll—

Hisoka's cell phone suddenly started to ring. He picked up the phone and some mumbling could be heard. "Alright, I'm heading your way," said Hisoka in reply. "You guys all pass the test! You will become good hunters!"

Hisoka smiled at us as he picked up Leorio on his shoulder. "You'll find your way back on your own, won't you?"

And then, Hisoka walked into the mist. No way! Saved by the phone! When I couldn't detect Hisoka's aura anymore, I fell to the ground immediately. My knees shook really hard, and I wiped the sweat off my forehead. A thump was heard next to me, and I know that Gon has also dropped to his knees. As I heard Kurapika's voice from behind, calling out our names, I felt a stream of relief, but also a strong fear.

I really don't know how long I can survive in this Hunter Exam.

* * *

TBC.

* * *

A/N: Another short chapter, but an update is an update, right? please review!


	6. Cooking X Hunting X Fishing

A/N: Just to clarify something because it came up in the reviews. The reason why Shizuku wasn't mentioned in the flashback when Ginger was talking about the girls sticking together is that during that flash back, Shizuku hasn't joined the Ryodan yet. And Shizuku was mentioned in chapter two because that was an original memory of the Ryodan, not a flashback. I know that Shizuku is not an original member in the Ryodan, so sorry if I got anyone confused!

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 06: Cooking X Hunting X Fishing**

"You must be a dog!"

Gon scratched the back of his head, thinking that it's a compliment from Killua. Gon, Kurapika, and I got to the destination of the second exam just in time with Gon following the scent of Leorio's aftershave, hence Killua's comment. On another note, Leorio also got back safely. Well, there's a pretty big swollen bump on his face where Hisoka punched him, but at least he's not dead. And he seems to have forgotten about what happened, which is good, I'm guessing.

"Why can't we get in yet?" Gon asked impatiently.

"I guess it's not time yet," answered Killua.

The clock in the front of the big building in front of us read five minutes to twelve. Not to mention there are weird sounds coming from inside. It really sounds like there are ferocious animals inside that building. I'm really not good with animals, especially the weird-looking ones.

When it was finally twelve, the door was opened. What awaited on the other side was……

A girl and a huge man.

I mean, _huge_. That man was at least three times bigger than that girl! And the weird growling sound? Yes, that came from the man's stomach! Looking around, everyone is dumbfounded and speechless.

"My name is Menchi and this is Buhara," said the girl sitting down on the big couch. "We're Gourmet Hunters!"

Gourmet Hunters? Does that mean you steal food? Because I'm pretty good at that.

"We're pretty hungry. So as you can see by the set-up, the theme of this exam will be—_cooking_!"

I can literally see everyone's jaws drop at the same time.

"What?!" Leorio exclaimed and pointed at me. "A man like me doesn't do cooking! It's a woman's job!"

I glared at Leorio. "Maybe you should start learning, because no woman is going to cook for you."

Leorio seemed a little taken back. That was probably the most words I've said to him until now. I don't really know why, but those words just came out.

"You have to satisfy me in the first round," said Buhara. "And my menu is… roast port! I don't care what kind of pork it is, as long as you chase it in the Biska Woods!"

All the contestants ran into the woods all at once. "Cool! That's really easy to cook!" said Leorio. Really? I hate this exam already. I've never cooked in my whole life! When I was little, I practically ate _nothing _since I lived in Meteor Street. And when I grew older, I _still_ don't know how to cook. In fact, _no one_ in the Ryodan knows how to cook. Everyone had different ways to get food. I always ate out with Kuroro; unlike Ubougin, he actually carries money around.

Anyway, after running a mile or so into the woods, we finally found some boars. They actually look more like rhinos, but I guess their noses resemble boars. According to Kurapika, they're the fiercest kind of boars in the world. As if on cue, these boars charged toward us once they spotted us. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio all darted in different directions in an instant.

Well, if I don't want to break a sweat, I guess I should kill one before it comes close to me. The guys aren't here to see it, anyway. Since these are just animals, I don't have to use Manipulation. Materializing three sharp hair-sticks in my hands, I aimed for the three boars charging at me. Hit in the head, they died in an instant. I went over and examined them, picking up the fattest one after a while. But just as I turned around, I found someone watching me.

It was Killua, holding up a dead boar himself. He had a strange expression on his face. Did he see my Nen power? But he shouldn't know about Nen yet. He's being cautious again, unlike when he's with Gon.

"I won't hurt you, you know?"

He seemed a little surprised that I talked to him.

"First of all, I have nothing to gain from you. Second, it's too much hassle."

The kid looked at me as if I was stupid. What a bratty kid. I was seeing things; he's not cautious at all!

"I don't know if you're strong or stupid," he said, "I certainly don't know how you survived with that Hisoka."

Well, I don't think I wouldn't have survived if we really fought. It's more like Hisoka let us go. But that's embarrassing to say and I would lose my dignity, so I won't tell him that.

"What a dishonest kid," I smirked.

"Right back at you, obasan."

"What did you say?!"

"Ginger-nee!" Gon's voice came from afar, "We all caught our boars! Let's roast the pork together!"

With a last glare, I went toward where Gon's voice came from. I don't know how it happened, or when it started, but I realized that I'm letting my emotions loose easily now. Although, I was never the kind to hold my tongue when it comes to things I wanted to say. But I've been keeping most things to myself ever since I left the Ryodan. Maybe I'm starting to trust Gon and the others more now, but there's still a tiny something pulling me back.

Anyway, like other contestants, we cooked our pork as it was over a big fire and brought it back to Buhara. The big guy actually ate the whole pork that brought back, without knives or forks or anything. That's not even the scary part. The guy actually ate all seventy boars that everyone brought back! His stomach looked like it was going to burst, but his face only says "I'm finally full!"

"You guys won't be so lucky this time," said Menchi, "for my menu, you guys are going to make sushi! And I'm only gonna accept hand-rolled sushi!"

By the looks of everyone's faces, I think no one knows what sushi is. Sushi… that name sounds quite familiar. Kuroro takes me to eat a lot of different kinds of foods, but I never really pay attention of what they're called. Since I actually have a recollection of that name, it must've been something I liked. There's also rice at the cooking counters that we've been told to cook at. That doesn't really help a lot, though.

"I've read something about that in books," Kurapika said. "It's a dish where you add white vinegar to the rice and it's served raw fish."

Fish? So it's a kind of seafood? I _love_ seafood! No wonder I remembered the name. Although I still don't know exactly what it is, but since it's fish it should be delicious!

Because of Leorio's big mouth, everyone found out that fish is one of the ingredients. Soon as they found out, they all rushed out to the river. And then I realized that a lot of the contestants here have things like small knives or spears. And Gon even has a fishing rod. Not until we reached the river did I realize that I have no idea how to fish.

"Ginger-nee, aren't you coming?" Gon called out to me after he came up to the surface after diving into the river. All soaked with water. I don't really want to make a mess out of myself, and besides, I'm wearing a white dress.

"Go on ahead, Gon!" I said to him. "I can fish up here."

I stared at the water for a while. It can't be that hard, can it? There are quite a lot of fish in this river, and they're not swimming that fast. All I need to do is just stick my hand in there really quickly and grab one. I knelt down next to the riverbank and stared at the fish. They don't notice me; I've been activating my _In _nonstop ever since the exam started, so most living things can't notice my existence. Locking my eyes onto a large fish, my hand went in and out in a flash, and a fish was flapping around in my hand.

"Fufufufu~ how cute~"

Shit! That goose-bump-making voice must be Hisoka! What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?! Okay, Ginger, calm down. Just ignore him.

"The way you caught that fish~ you _are_ a little kitten~"

I felt as if someone slid ice cubes down my back. He really needs to stop with that kitten thing; it's creeping me out. Although… other people have also called me the same thing, but it's never sounded so nasty before.

"If you keep ignoring you, I'm going to harass you physically~"

I turned around quickly. "Stop following me around!"

The pervert put a playing card to his lips, looking very amused. "My~ kittens _are_ harder to train than puppies~"

"STOP WITH THE KITTEN THING! I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!"

"Then why is it that the second you laid your eyes on me when you arrived at the exam, there was such a big shift in your aura and you immediately activated _In_?"

My mind was suddenly wiped when he asked me that question. Did I? When did I activate _In_? It was before I even looked at him, right? Moreover, he couldn't have been looking at me at that time already! Calm down, he's doing this on purpose. But then, he would only do this if he knew I was Shoga, right?

"Unless you're a person who is really sensitive to the nature of other people's aura, you couldn't have known what kind of person I was. There was only one person that I met who could do that, and I was sure that I already _killed her_."

Was? YOU'RE CLEARLY HINTING THAT IT'S ME! Damn this pervert…

"Why do you keep talking about that girl, Hisoka? Did you love this girl, and regretted killing her?"

Hisoka was quiet for a while.

"Well, back then I had my mind set on somebody else, so I didn't get to _savor her taste~_"

HISOKA, YOU CRAZY PERVERT! I knew I shouldn't have said that! Why do I always dig my own grave when it comes to this man?! Just as I was crying in my mind, a rustling sound came from near us. We turned our heads and there was a guy standing there. At least… I think it's a human? He had the ugliest face I've ever seen; all covered with nails and his skin was a weird color. I was just getting confused when he started making "kata, kata" sounds from his mouth!

"Okay, let's head back," Hisoka said suddenly, "I got my fish already."

No way! He understood that?!

Hisoka turned back to me and blew me a kiss. "Come play with me next time, little kitten~"

My heart almost fell out as he left my sight. My knees felt weak again and I sat on the grassy ground. Why do I always get so scared when it comes to Hisoka? He didn't even _really_ kill me last time. I mean, wouldn't I know how to protect myself better this time since I already know how he fights? Wait, not _protect myself_, it's beat him!

But even after saying all that, I knew that I couldn't beat Hisoka. He was stronger than me.

The fish in my hand had stopped flapping a long time ago. I didn't go back to the testing location. I sat under a tree until Gon came and found me, saying that everyone failed the second exam and that we're going to retake the exam. He asked me why I wasn't there cooking with them, but I didn't answer him. During the whole retake section of the second exam, I wasn't really paying attention either. It was a lot easier than making that soshi or whatever food, grabbing the Spider Eagle's egg. There was nothing wrong with me; I was merely… scolding myself. I was disappointed at myself, and maybe Kuroro was disappointed at me as well.

That's why he left me. A member who can't even keep up with the Ryodan has to leave the Ryodan. That was the simple rule.

* * *

TBC.

* * *

A/N: The winter holidays are over! I hope everyone had a great time with their families and friends. Updates might take even longer now that university is starting back up. But I'll work my hardest! Please review!


	7. Third Exam X Separation X Bad Luck

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 07: Third Exam X Separation X Bad Luck**

After a day's travel on airship, we finally arrived at the location of the third exam. Me? I'm feeling a bit better about the whole incident with Hisoka now. I thought about it during the whole ride. When I found Gon and Killua play a ball game with the president Netoro, I felt a bit…enlightened. I shouldn't just be afraid of Hisoka forever. I need to become stronger. And when I do, I'm going to beat Hisoka, and the Ryodan is gonna regret ever leaving me! I hope the third exam will do some good training for me!

We stepped out of the airship onto a large round platform. Looking down from the edge, it's a tower so tall to the point that we can't even see the ground. Our goal is basically to get to the bottom. And clearly we can't just climb down from the outside, since a moron just tried and got eaten by some nasty-looking birds. So there must be some secret pathway down this tower, and Gon and the others are already looking for them. The people still on the surface are getting less and less; there's probably less pathways than there are the contestants here.

"Leorio! Kurapika! We found them!" Gon's shouting could be heard from far away. I looked over to see the four guys standing together. "Ginger-nee, come here!"

Good thing Gon is so enthusiastic about this whole exam thing. I wasn't really looking for any pathways. I mean, looking around, Hisoka already went down somewhere, so I'll be safe for a while. Oh, wait! I'm supposed to be training myself! Ugh, why do I have to be so damn lazy all the time!

Anyway, I made my way toward Gon and the others. Suddenly I felt the ground that I stepped on moved. Downward. I looked down to see that the stone plate was pushed open by my right foot and my foot was already intruding into it. I looked back up toward Gon's direction, and was only able to see his surprised expression for half a second before I fell into the opening completely.

The way down was short and all I thought about was…what the hell am I supposed to do now?! The whole point of me being here was to look after Gon! Now that we're separated, what am I supposed to do? But then again, it seems like each of these doors lead to different rooms, anyway. I just hope that Gon gets to the bottom safely.

I landed smoothly at the bottom. The room was bright and small, and when my eyes adjusted to the light, I kind of wished that I hadn't opened my eyes at all. Back in those days with the Ryodan, a group of us would always play cards together when we have nothing to do. Shalnark was the one that loved playing the most, but he was also the one that lost the most. And then when he loses, he would laugh and say things like, "this game is all about luck, anyway!" And when he says that, we would all call him a sore loser. Not until now, I've never realized the real meaning of "bad luck."

"Hn~ look who decided to come down here~?"

I had to bite hard so that my jaws didn't drop. Out of all the people in this damn exam, why is it Hisoka that's down here?!

Seeing that I'm absolutely speechless, Hisoka continued with a playing card covering his mouth. Bastard, I bet he's trying not to laugh. "I've waiting for you for a long time, little kitten~"

Wait for me? What does he mean? Couldn't he just keep going on his own? Hisoka saw the question on my face and pointed to my right. I looked to the wall which had a large bulletin board attached, and on the bulletin board it read:

"**The Road of the Three-legged Man—Two contestants must attach the chained timers onto their wrists and walk through this road together. If the timer does not sense either contestant's pulse, the doors will not open."**

I want to scream. I really, really want to scream! I didn't even realize that I actually am screaming! This is unfair! It's too unfair! Anyone can tell that there's no way in hell that Hisoka is going to peacefully do this with me! I'd be lucky if he beats me half to death and drag me the rest of the way!

"Nnhn~ little kitten seems more happy to see me than I thought~"

Happy?! Do you really think that I'm screaming from joy?! It's more like I want to cry but my tears won't even come out!

Ignoring my death glare, Hisoka continued with his despicable smile, "isn't this quite interesting? Pleased to work with you, little kitten~"

I opened my mouth slowly, my voice barely coming out, "………Can I not?"

"Not? What a waste! And to think that we got such an interesting game to play~" the corners of Hisoka's mouth stretched even wider. "The rule says that it's game over when either of our pulse stops. So try your best to _stay alive_, little kitten~ although I'm sure you're good at that~"

What a bastard. Do you think I _don't _want to stay alive? You're probably gonna be the one that kills me! Telling me to stick with this madman for seventy-two hours makes me want to slap the living devil out of his smiling face! And what he said just now was—

"What are you trying to imply?" I asked in a dangerous tone, although that probably excited him even more.

"I'm implying that," Hisoka suddenly grabbed my hand and pushed his face close to mine; his silver eyes shot chills down my spine, "kittens have nine lives, don't they? Unless you've _already _died before~"

He pulled away after saying so, and put something in my hand. I looked down dully at the timer resting in the palm of my hand as I tried to regain my sanity. I was angry—extremely angry by this sadistic bastard in front of me. Enough is enough; I don't care about whatever dignity I might lose. If I can just be patient and go through with this, and then get my revenge, then I'll be the winner in the end.

Taking the timer silently, I reached down to my ankle—

"Ara~ little kitten is so naïve! Just because it's called the Three-legged Man, you're going to connect that to your leg? How cute~" Hisoka chuckled. "It will be hard to move around if your ankle is chained with mine, you know~?"

My face burned instantly. I glared at him and said through gritted teeth, "just shut up, Hisoka!" I put the timer around my wrist and the locked clicked shut. And with that click, the heavy metal door in front of us slowly slid open.

* * *

I don't care anymore. I _really_ don't care anymore. You know how I said that I was extremely angry? Well, now I don't even feel that way anymore. Right now, I'm just completely losing my sanity. I don't know how long Hisoka and I have been walking down this road, but it's driving me crazy. Every time come to a fork in the road, the bastard would drag me the opposite way that I want to go. My wrist is probably red right now. And what's worse? This little "red string" he kept talking about.

"Little kitten~ don't you think that this chain is like the red string of fate that connects us together~?"

Fate must be a goddamn asshole.

The rest of the way down consisted of Hisoka killing every person that came in our way. Before they could even finish talking, Hisoka would shut them up for good. Once in a while he would look at me amusingly after killing them. I guess I moved up a notch in his book, since I was so used to seeing people dying. Not that I like to see that kind of stuff, but it's just that…some people have to die so other people can live on. It's kind of annoying to think about that. Hisoka lived because I died. But who died because I lived?

I yawned. It's been a long since we've been walking, and not much has happened. One thing that bothered me was Hisoka's aura; it's neither very happy nor angry, which is weird because he's usually happy when he's on a killing spree.

We were approaching another metal door when the weirdest thing just happened. I pressed O to open the door, while Hisoka just stared at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing? You don't want to go through? There's no other way, you know?"

Hisoka smirked. "There's no use hiding, little kitten~"

"What?"

"I think I'm a little tired of this," said Hisoka, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Why don't I _watch_ you kill off this next person behind the door?"

I widened my eyes at him. Hisoka, you sly bastard. This guy wants to see me fight; he wants to see my fighting style. If I do fight in front of him, he's going to find out that I am actually Shoga. And when he does find out, he's going to kill me for sure so that he can stay in the Ryodan!

"Don't say that, Hisoka," I said carefully, "I'm not as strong as you think. If I die, then it's game over for you too, remember?"

Chuckling as he raised an arm and tightened his fist, he said to me, "Kill that person, little kitten~"

With one strike he punched into the metal door. The door crumpled down, leaving a huge hole. I was speechless. Curse Hisoka! I knew that he was showing me that even without me, he could pass this exam easily. No metal door was going to stop him. Before I can even think of another way out of this, a man emerged from the dust that Hisoka created.

"I've been waiting for you, Hisoka!"

It was a tough man with several scars across his face. He juggled two bent knives in his hands, not even _glancing _at me. Hisoka nonchalantly eyed the man—I guess Hisoka doesn't know him—and turned back to me, talking in a dangerously low tone.

"Kill him……"

* * *

TBC.


	8. Revenge X Caught in Action X Scheme

A/N: Sorry that this story may seem a little HisokaOC right now, but I assure you that this a KuroroOC story!

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 08: Revenge X Caught in Action X Scheme**

"Kill him………"

I looked at Hisoka disbelievingly. He was going to see me fight no matter what—I can tell from his aura. It's telling me that if I don't fight this guy, he'll kill me; and if I don't fight, the guy kills me. Either way, I'm the one that's dead in the end. And I will not allow that. But what am I supposed to do? Just go ahead and kill this guy? I'm sure that'll make Hisoka want to kill me even more!

"I…" I ran through my brain inside and out for ideas, "I don't like killing, Hisoka."

That part was quite true, mind you.

Hisoka chuckled. "Whether you like it or not, someone has to be killed here."

Oh, I know _that_.

"Hey! Quit chitchatting by yourselves!" The scar-face shouted at us angrily. "I've been waiting for you for a long time, Hisoka! Finally, it's time for me to take my revenge!"

Revenge? Well, sounds like this guy doesn't even care about me, so I guess I don't have a say in this!

"He wants to fight you, Hisoka," I said.

Hisoka finally turned to look at the scar-face with a blank expression. "Who are you?"

The scar-face was instantly angered again by Hisoka's comment. "I never forgot about last year's Hunter Exam. During this whole time, I trained myself to the bones just for this moment! Never for a second had I stopped thinking about this sweet revenge!"

Well, isn't that admirable? That sounds like something I should be doing. And I was going to! But I just can't right now. I looked at Hisoka, whose face showed a slight realization.

"Ah~n, you're the examiner that I beat last year!"

The scar-face grinded his teeth. "Shut up, Hisoka! I'm different now, and I'm going to kill you right here and now!"

Hisoka laughed. "I'm afraid not this time! Your opponent is little kitten here~"

The scar-face finally looked at me for the first time. "Young lady…you are…?"

"Hey, don't listen to that psycho!" I said, holding up my chained wrist. "It's not like I want to be here! I'd like to kill this bastard just as much as you want to kill him!"

"Is that so…" said the scar-face, "I'm sorry that I have to do this to you, but I'll count your part into the revenge against Hisoka! So just go peacefully!"

_WHAT?!_

After saying so, the scar-face threw one of his crescent knives at me. Just one?! Do I really look that weak to you?! This guy just pissed me off in so many levels! I ducked and dodged the knife easily. But by the change of the sound from behind, I looked back quickly to see that the knife turned all the way around, right back at me. I went for my left, but the chain between Hisoka and I has been pulled to its extent. I had to instantly jump toward Hisoka's side to dodge the knife just barely.

I saw Hisoka smile slyly at me. Clearly, he wasn't going to move, so he's really leaving me no choice.

"Not bad, young lady," the scar-face said, "But can you deal with three of these at once?!"

There's no way that I can dodge these easily. Two of the knives flew at me and I barely knocked them aside with the chain. Where'd the other one go? I turned, shocked to see that it was flying straight toward Hisoka. And that idiot just smiles and stands in his place?! If he dies, then it's game over for me! And I don't even have the time to think!

_Clank! _

The knife was hit to the side with a materialized hairstick. I could see the corners of Hisoka's lips rising, and the shocked expression on scar-face's face.

"Young lady…you…" the scar-face said, "you are his comrade after all!"

"I am NOT!" I shouted. "I just don't want to get eliminated here!"

"Hn~" there was laughter in Hisoka's voice, "did you really think that that thing could kill me?"

That question shut me up. How dumb was I?! I actually that Hisoka would be killed. That man, killed? I can't believe how stupid I was!

"Prepare to die!" the scar-face juggled six knives in his hands. Well, too bad for him. There's no point for me to hold back anymore. In my hand I materialized a hairstick, this one with tiny bells attached at the end. Just one should be enough.

The scar-face raised an eyebrow. "Young lady, you don't have anything better than that?"

"Usually, I try to put in the least effort into whatever I have to accomplish."

"Don't underestima—" the scar-face was too slow to dodge the hairstick. It stuck right into his left shoulder. The bells jingled with its movement, and the scar-face quieted down. That was easier than I thought.

"I'm sorry, but…" I said, activating my Nen, "please kill yourself."

Like a puppet the scar-face obediently raised a knife in his hand, and stabbed right into his own chest. Seeing that it wasn't quite enough, I picked up the two knives that have fallen next to me, and shot at him. One at his stomach and one at his throat. He died in an instant. However, this is the part that I fear the most—Hisoka chuckled softly behind me.

"Nothing delights me more when I'm right~" said Hisoka. "Not many Nen users of the Manipulation group use 'sound' as a medium~ and the kind of hairstick with bells you just used~ there's no way you cannot be—Shoga."

I smiled, knowing that I can't hide it anymore. Yes, I use "sound" as a medium of manipulation. When I first decided to use "sound", Shalnark told how hard it would be and I should give up the idea. But when I consulted Kuroro, he put his palm over his mouth and thought for a while, and said otherwise.

_"Shoga is naturally very sensitive to other people's aura, and often has a good grasp of them. She might have a potential of using 'sound', especially when 'sound' is a powerful medium, even though it's hard to use."_

And so, I went with Kuroro's advice and started training myself with Shalnark's help. And I experimented a lot on Ubougin, since he was probably the most simple-minded person in the Ryodan. Since it's way too hard to try to control every possible sound in the world, I had to choose one sound that resonated the most with my aura, which happened to be the sound of bells. With the sound of bells I can tweak the routes inside my opponent's brain and speak my command. The louder of the sound that he hears and the more I know about his aura, the better my manipulation. A person like scar-face, who's completely obsessed with revenge, is the easiest to manipulate. And how I was beaten by Hisoka? Because I could not manipulate his stupid, unpredictable mind no matter how much I tried!

"So now you know," I said, "you're not going to kill me?"

"Hn~" he raised his eyebrow. "No~ I already had my fun with you~"

My eyes widened at his statement. "What? You do know that this means that you didn't kill me, and you cannot remain with the Ryodan?"

"If that happens, I'll kill you~"

I almost toppled over myself. I'll never be able to get this man.

"But don't you think it's more interesting this way~?" said Hisoka. "That blonde boy amongst your friends, he's a Kurata, isn't he~?"

Oh, no. No, you don't!

"Hisoka, what are you trying to do?" I growled at him.

"Nothing for now~" he seemed pleased that I tensed up all of a sudden. "but it would be really entertaining, if one day he found out that a comrade of his is actually one of those who destroyed his clan~"

Hisoka, Hisoka. Well, I shouldn't expect anything less from you. Kurapika…he would probably kill me if he found out. No, he would force some Ryodan info out of me before he does. Even though Hisoka talked about Kurapika as a "friend" of mine, Kurapika probably doesn't think so. So if he knew that I was a Spider, he wouldn't hesitate, right? I don't know why, but…that's so frustrating. And it's even more frustrating to think about…why I'd try to keep the info about the Ryodan, when I'm not even a member anymore.

* * *

Luckily for me, that scar-face was the last that we had to defeat. I'm not sure if I have any more strength left from everything that Hisoka just said. Oh, my weak heart. Anyway, the last of the metal doors slid open and we entered an empty round room. The speaker announced our completion of the third exam and our time. It seems that we are the first ones down here. And unfortunately, there's still an unbelievably long time until the exam ends. I hope that somebody comes down here quickly so that I don't have to sit here awkwardly with Hisoka. I wonder what Gon and the others are doing right now?

Hisoka took a seat next to the wall, leaning lightly against it. Humming lightly, he started to build a pyramid with his playing cards. Ugh, what a creep. I stepped toward the other direction.

"How cold of you, little kitten~" Hisoka's voice gave me goose bumps from the back. "And to think that we were partners just now; you're not going to sit next to me?"

"Ugh," I strutted my way toward Hisoka, who looked at me amusingly. I narrowed my eyes at the pervert, and kicked down his half-made pyramid. I probably shouldn't have done that, but man, did that feel good.

Instead of getting mad, Hisoka chuckled eerily. "Hn~ How cute~"

There's no way that I'll ever win, is there?

Suddenly, the metal door opened again. It was that strange man with the nails all over his face. So according to the speaker, his name is Gittarackur. Strange name for a strange guy. But I can sense it though, his aura was amazingly strong and…emotionless. I would probably have a hard time fighting him.

"Yo!" Hisoka waved casually at the weird man. It still confuses me how these two can communicate, considering that this Gittarackur guy doesn't even speak _human_.

"Kata, kata…" _said_ Gittarackur as he walked toward us.

"We had to partner up in a fun little game~" Hisoka _replied_ as he winked at me. "Oh~ and I was right about her~"

I snapped my head toward Hisoka. "What?! Why are you telling random people about me?!"

"I'm not really interested, actually."

I jumped as human words came out from Gittarackur's mouth. I looked back and he was still that weird looking nail-face. What a waste! It was a pretty voice, even!

"I just want to warn you: don't try to befriend Killua."

Why do I keep offending people when I don't even know anything about it?! And I'm not even friends with Killua, or Kurapika for that matter. Next time, someone's gonna come and tell me to keep a five feet range from Leorio or something! But…too bad I was actually a little interested in Killua, since he's quite sharp for his age. Then again, what is Killua to this guy?

"Um, don't worry. I wouldn't say that I even know anything about Killua besides his name."

Gittarackur nodded. "I'm relieved. I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of fighting you."

Well, it would be a hassle for me too!

"Although, I _am_ interested since Hisoka told me that you're a 'sound' manipulator."

That bastard.

* * *

It wasn't until that very last second that Gon and the others made it through. To be honest, I was getting quite worried. But they made a scene, that's for sure. They made a car-structured device that rolled down the way. I guess that was kinda clever.

"Gon!" I called his name. You'd be surprised how much I missed him. Sitting with Hisoka and Gittarackur sure got me a lot of strange glances from other contestants.

"Ginger-nee!" Gon jogged in front of me, looking very excited. "I knew you would make it down fine! How much time did you take?"

"Six hours and seventeen minutes." Maybe I shouldn't tell him that I had to partner up with Hisoka.

"SIX HOURS AND SEVENTEEN MINUTES?! Ginger-nee, I knew you were this strong!" Gon glomped me in the stomach. Well, I'm glad that he came down here fine. Next time, I'm going to watch every damn step I take.

"So what happened during all this time? Did all of you end up together?"

"Yeah! Even though we jumped through different paths, we ended up together anyway!"

Fate is one sadistic bastard.

* * *

TBC.


	9. Lottery X Hunting Begins X Killua

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 09: Lottery X Hunting Begins X Killua**

"This lottery shall determine the hunters and their prey."

Lottery. I eyed the box held in the hands of the short man who was our examiner for the previous round and also the current round. For this round, we were taken to this island called Zebiru Island, and basically, our goal is to collect points. Three points for your own number plate, three points for your prey's number plate, and one point for anyone else's. Well, this sounds like an easy meat to me, considering that I spent half of my life stealing things. But then again, if I just happen to pick Hisoka's number out, I'd be dead meat. Surely my luck couldn't possibly be that bad, right?

"We'll pick the number plates according to the order of arrival from the last round."

I jerked a little in my spot. Technically, Hisoka and I arrived at the same time. But there's no way in hell am I going to let everyone know that I was with Hisoka that whole time. I'll deny it. I'll deny that that moment in my life ever existed! I peeked at Hisoka from the corner of my, and saw the said man looking at me slyly. Oh, there will never be peace in my life as long as that bastard lives.

However surprisingly, Hisoka went and picked the number plate on his own, which was confusing to me. He usually would not lose any chances of playing with me. Maybe he's taking a break, or better yet, lost interest in lil ol' me.

After Hisoka had chosen his number plate, it was my turn to go. Cringing a little from Gon's loud "Eh?! Ginger-nee you were second to arrive?!" I went up to the box. I felt a little nervous. Okay, calm down, Ginger, your luck can't be that bad. Although, Hisoka was the only person who'd went, and he couldn't have picked his own number, so that means the possibility of me drawing his number is still extremely large! I sighed and wiped my sweating hand on the edge of my skirt, and then reached for the opening.

This one.

No, this one!

Okay, no regrets. This one!

I opened up my sheet of paper slowly, almost afraid to look at it. Until…

**53. **

It's 53. Not 44. NOT 44!

I turned back quickly to see who number 53 was, but everyone had already hidden their number plates somewhere. Anyhow, as long as it's not Hisoka, I think I'm fine with anybody.

For the rest of the time I waited until Gon got his own prey's number. I don't know whose number he'd drawn, but he looked excited. Sometimes I'm a little envious of children's lack of fear. It makes me wonder if I was ever like that before. Hmm, nope, I was probably a little different than that.

After everyone had drawn their number plates, we boarded this ship that was to carry us to Zebiru Island. Instead of being with his friends, Gon had gone to the decks by himself. Although there shouldn't be any possible harm on this ship, I still followed behind him. It's not like I have anything else to do...okay, fine, I'm a little worried, since he's been a little quiet. Anyway, I'll found him on the decks looking out at the sea. Now, that's not the excitement that I was seeing earlier.

"Gon," he turned to face me as I called his name, "Is something wrong?"

"Ginger-nee…" he said, "Nothing's wrong. I just feel like I need to cool down…"

"Cool down?" I sat down next to him. "Is it about the number you picked?"

Gon remained quiet. I wonder if he'd chosen my number out of the box. That would probably be troubling. I'd be more than happy to just _give_ him my number plate – and then just finding three more – but Gon probably wouldn't like that. Or maybe, it could be Leorio, Kurapika, or Killua. Knowing Gon, he probably wouldn't want to steal any of their number plates.

"Yo!"

The two of us looked over to see Killua approaching us. He sat right down on the other side of Gon. The kid has finally loosen up around me. If I remember correctly, he even called me dumb last time. This little brat…I hope Gon doesn't learn from him!

"Whose number did you pick?" asked Killua.

"What about you?"

"Secret."

Silence.

And the two boys laughed at each other.

"Don't worry," said Killua, "My number is not 405."

"And mine isn't 99," said Gon.

And so, the two boys decided to both show their numbers at the count to three. Killua picked the number 199, and Gon picked…**44?!** Oh. My. God. This is just _great_. Just as I thought I have a break from Hisoka, Gon picked him instead! There's no way that Gon can handle Hisoka! And if my memories don't fail me, Hisoka has already taken interest in Gon. And God knows what that means. Gon will be eaten. Gon is going to be _eaten_! I have to protect Gon! What do I do?!

"Gon…" Killua also gaped at Gon's number. "You're not very lucky…"

You can say that again.

"Hehe… you think so?" said Gon. "And whose number is that?"

"How could I remember everyone's number?" Killua said as he leaned on his back. "When I tried to look, everyone had already hidden their number plates. Except for Miss Confident right here…"

"What?" I looked down at my chest and realized that I haven't hidden my number plate. "Oh… well, it's not like I have any place to hide it, anyway! I have no risks, kid, I already made sure of that."

Killua narrowed his eyes at me. "What if Hisoka picked your number? I noticed he was looking at you with that creepy look."

I blanked. Shit, I didn't think of that possibility. Okay, so if Hisoka picked my number, he'd be coming after me while Gon is going after him. In that case should I become a bait and lure Hisoka to Gon? No, that means I'd have to protect myself _and _Gon at the same time. That wouldn't be good since I have to focus on one person only during combat. Damn, this just got complicated.

Seeing that I wasn't going to reply to him, Killua turned to Gon. "Oi, Gon! I don't understand how this stupid woman can be as strong as you said! She—"

Caught by Killua's sudden stop, I also looked at Gon. The kid had a kind of suppressed smile on his face. Ah, this kid is just like Jin. Whenever there's danger, they get more excited. Unlike me, who was practically praying so that I won't draw Hisoka's number.

"Are you excited or afraid?" asked Killua.

"Maybe both…" answered Gon.

* * *

We arrived at Zebiru Island the next day. I can already feel the tension around everyone. Anyone could be hunting for you, and you don't know who you're going to hunt. But I, being the kind that would think ahead, put my Shalnark-Cap on last night and thought of a brilliant strategy. Once we all get into the forests, the first thing I'll do is to look for Gon. And when I do find Gon, I'll keep an eye on him. Since we don't have to get our designated number plates, I'll just go find three once Gon has gotten Hisoka's (because Gon would never go for the alternative.)

"The contestants shall go in with the order of arrival from the last round!" a girly announcer said to us at the shores.

That means I'm right after Hisoka. I hope he goes far in the two minute gap. I put up my defense and cautiously went inside the forest after two minutes. I don't sense Hisoka anywhere; he must be deep inside already. So I hopped into a tree and hid myself there, and started to wait for Gon. Numerous people started to come in, and it took almost an hour until Gon came in. I jumped down from the tree quietly and followed him from behind, hiding my presence. Knowing Gon, he'd probably want to do this alone.

After a long while, I've done nothing except for following Gon, who hasn't been exactly looking for his prey. Maybe he's thinking of a strategy. Although that doesn't sound like what Gon usually would do, but that's a good thing, considering that he's going against Hisoka.

Suddenly, I saw Gon stop his movements. He hid behind the tree he was climbing and stared into a clearing filled with tall grass. I looked in his direction and saw what he was looking at. One of the contestants was traveling with the protection of the tall grass, and there was another contestant behind him! Not to mention the fact that there had been another person following Gon ever since he entered the forest! Well, aren't I a lucky woman! All three targets found!

Gon and I both waited for more action. The younger contestant with the purple hat took out bows and arrows that he'd been preparing. The other contestant didn't notice until the last minute, and was scratched on the arm. Although failing to kill his prey in one shot, the younger one stood up to face the elder. The elder smiled and raised his sword, but suddenly he couldn't move. The kid moved toward the elder swiftly and picked up his number plate, saying that the tip of his arrow was poisoned. I gotta say, that was a smart move. But thanks for informing me before hand!

I waited a bit more while Gon traveled the opposite direction. While still holding a grasp of where Gon's scent is, I silently moved toward the young contestant. It didn't take long to find my target; it seems like he'd loosen up a little after his victory. Well, seeing that he was a smart boy and has potential, I probably shouldn't harm him too much.

"Who's there?!"

The kid finally noticed my presence and swerved around, but he was too late to dodge my hairstick. He winced at the pain on his shoulder. The bells jingled.

"Let me have all the number plates in your possession," I commanded.

Like a robot he reached into his shirt and pulled out two number plates. I stepped forward and took it from his hand. Oh! This boy _is_ number 53! How lucky can I get?! I think this is all to replace the bad luck I had from last round. Anyhow, I should free this boy quickly and catch up with Gon.

I pulled out my weapon from the kid's shoulder, and he immediately jumped at me. However, before he could snatch back his number plates, I kicked him hard in the stomach. Once he was down, I twisted his ankle until I heard the cracking sound of the bone, telling me that it's broken. The boy screamed in pain.

"I'm sorry," I said before turning away. "A broken leg doesn't take that long to recover. I hope you have better luck next year."

"Wait!" I felt the boy's hand grab onto my leg. I looked back down to see his painful, anguished, yet…determined expression. "I can't lose here. I have to become a hunter! I have to—"

I don't understand. I really don't.

"Boy, why do you so desperately want to become a hunter?"

"It's my dream," he said immediately, "I want to become a hunter of ghostly species. I've already come this far. I know I can do it!"

Your dream?

"Is your dream that important to you?"

"If it's not important, I wouldn't call it my dream!"

I definitely…won't be able to understand how these contestants feel.

"Well, if you're that determined, you should just wait one year. You'll be in more danger if you carried number plates around in this condition. It's better to be alive than dead, right?" I said as I knelt down in front of him.

Really, he would probably get killed by other people who need number plates if he had any on him. Having been brought up in Meteor Street taught me a lot of things. The more valuable things you have, the more danger will come to you. And that is how this world works. The stronger ones survive.

"Go train yourself for another year. If you can't even beat me, what will happen when you come across someone, or some_thing_ in your case, stronger than anything you've imagined?"

I gave him one last smile and left him there speechless.

And suddenly I felt it. The sound of gunshot from not so far away, and the movement in the air. It was directed toward me! Finding the same route as the bullet I shot a hairstick in the same direction while dodging at the same time. Tsk. The bullet scratched my arm. Good thing it was a normal bullet; it didn't do much damage but there's still a cut.

I ran to where the bullet came from and saw a woman there with a shot gun. My hairstick was struck deep into her thigh and she was struggling to move away from me. Maybe I was her target?

"That wasn't very nice what you did," I said while reaching for her number plate, "Now, please go find a place to hide until this round is over."

Having said that, the woman started to walk into the forest. Well, now that that's over with, I can go back to my plan—wait, I think I forgot something. Oh, NO! Because of that woman I lost track of where Gon is! Augh, that stupid woman! I should've hurt her a little more for making me lose my plan!

"I still can't figure out if you're really strong or not."

I snapped my head toward the direction of the voice. Killua came out of the bushes, looking bratty as always.

"If it were my parents, they wouldn't have missed the woman _or_ get shot by the gun," said Killua, looking at my cut.

Brat. I don't care who your parents are, but they need to give you more discipline.

"Are you sure you want to talk like that to me?" I said, emitting a dangerous aura. "Just because I said I won't hurt you last time, do you really think I'd keep my promise?"

"You're a terrible liar."

"Shut up!" I glared at the cocky child and turned around. "Go and find your own prey! I have things to do!"

"You were with Hisoka during the last round, weren't you?" Killua's one phrase stopped me in my track. "I can smell his scent on you."

I cocked my head back toward him. "So what if I was?"

Surprisingly, the kid was looking at me with a serious expression. Kind of reminded me of when I first met him, when he maintained cautiousness around me.

"At first I wondered how a stupid woman like you can survive around someone like Hisoka," said Killua. "But I think I've figured it out. It's the same kind of pressure that I feel from Hisoka...and you also have the same kind of power, and so does my brother…"

"Your brother?"

In that moment I saw into Killua's dark eyes. Something in there seemed kind of lost, and there was a little eagerness. It kind of reminded me of myself when I was around his age, trying to survive in Meteor Street.

"How…should I become strong?"

* * *

TBC.


	10. Meteor X Gittarackur X Hooked

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Chapter 10: Meteor X Gittarackur X Hooked**

…_We'll take anything you throw at us, but don't take anything away from us…_

_How should I become strong, eh? I don't remember ever asking myself that kind of question. All I remember ever since I was born was that if I don't become strong, it meant death for me—or anyone else in Meteor Street, for that matter. _

_Meteor Street was a place where the people from "outside" dumped everything and anything they didn't want anymore. You can hardly call that place a civilization. There is no such thing called "law" or "order". There is no difference between a "beast" and a "human". Ever since I could remember, I was digging from what the "outsiders" threw away there for food, and even fighting for them from mice. _

_On that one day, I was only ten years old, and I was lucky enough to dig up a half eaten piece of bread. Right when I was going to eat it, something half my size jumped at me, trying to snatch the bread away. I backed away quickly and looked carefully; it was a little boy, probably only five years old, a few years younger than me. A scrawny little thing, he was. His eyes never left the bread in my hand. I don't know what I was thinking back then, but I handed him the bread. The boy hesitated to take it, but he did in the end, and he ran away as fast as he could. _

_I was young back then, and I thought I did a good thing. Until a cry from a distance not too far away pulled me back to reality. I rushed toward the sound of crying and saw young boy again. Except this time, he was missing an arm. He laid upon a pool of blood and he was barely breathing. I was shocked. It was because of me that this boy got attacked. Probably by a wild dog, or by someone else that was older and stronger. Because I gave him that piece of bread, and he wasn't strong enough to even eat it. _

_The boy looked so miserable. His eyes turned hollow; I don't think he could even see, even though he was facing in my direction. _

_Just as I was thinking about what to do, _he_ appeared. And that was the day that I met him for the very first time. _

"_Aren't you going to kill him?"_

_The boy with black hair and black eyes asked me. _

"_It will ease his pain. You're the one that started it, so why don't you end it?"_

_He was probably around my age. His face was pale, clean, and young. However, he exerted this sense of calmness and maturity compared to the other crazy and inhumane creatures here. He was something that I've never seen before in Meteor City. And he stood there before the sunset, looking like a _ruler.

"_No," it took me a while to find my voice again. "It isn't my fault that he could not protect something valuable. If he has the will, he shall live. And if he doesn't then he'll die. Life is that simple."_

_And then the boy smiled. He smiled very slightly, but I was captured by it. And then he took my hand and lead me toward the darkness. _

"_Where are you taking me?" I asked him._

"_The Spider's hideout," he said without looking back. "We'll get what we want, not what others don't want."_

We. _What a nice word. _

* * *

"I'm the last person you should be asking that question to," I said to Killua, who bore a confused expression. "I became strong because I wanted to live, that's all."

Killua looked at me silently. I don't think he understood that very well, but he should be glad that he never had to go through life in Meteor Street in the first place.

Seeing that he wasn't going to say more, I turned around to leave. "Well, I'm going to find Gon, so good luck on getting your number plate! Or if you already have, keep it safe!"

I darted into the woods leaving Killua by himself. Honestly I have no idea where Gon is, but I'm just going in a random direction. And I haven't taken care of the guy that was following Gon yet. I must find Gon quickly. If I can count on Gon a little bit, he's probably going to find Hisoka. So finding Hisoka would probably be the same idea. It'll be easier to find Hisoka since he always a strong scent of blood about him. I can't believe I'm getting myself near that madman again. Fate never leaves me alone!

I was a little lost in my own thoughts and I didn't realize that someone was charging toward me with an incredible speed. I swerved around, but I wasn't quick enough. Gittarackur's face was inches away from me and it almost gave me a heart attack! From the corner of my eye I saw his fist coming at me, but I was late to dodge it. Gittarackur's fist came struck me in the jaw, and I crashed into a nearby tree from the immense power. I groaned inwardly and looked up to see the attacker approach me slowly.

Did he see me talking with Killua?

"Wait! I think you misunderstood—"

"Are you number 80?"

Eh?

"I asked you," the dangerous man repeated his question in that pretty voice, "is your number 80?"

Oh, so he's just looking for his pray?

"No!" I said quickly. "I came to the exam _way_ later than that!"

He stared at me, seemingly to see if I was lying or not. Trust me, mister nail-head, I have nothing to gain from lying to you! After a while of just looking at each other, the man finally turned around and made for his leave. I let out a relieved breath; I almost got killed! Speaking of which, this Gittarackur guy has a lot of power in his punch! If we'd kept fighting, who knows what would've happened. Wait! Ginger, stop putting yourself down! You're not a weak fighter either! Think about it, if Hisoka's interested in you, that means you have some value, right? Although, Gittarackur is more like a friend to Hisoka than a "fruit," huh?

Wait… friend?

"Gittarackur!" I caught up to the man in front of me. "You must know where Hisoka is, right? Take me to him!"

The nail-head turned back to look at me. He has no expressions, but I think he's probably looking at me with an incredulous expression. What kind of dumb person would present themselves to that mad killer?

"I don't do anything for free," he said; my jaws dropped. "Fifty-thousand Zeni."

What?! Fifty-thousand Zeni for showing me a direction?! Does it look like I even have money? Well, let me tell you something. I've never _ever_ carried money with me in my whole life! I don't even have a bank account!

Seeing that I wasn't going to pay him, the man turned his back to me and started to walk away again.

"Wait! Wait!" I stopped him again. "I don't have money! But I have something that you want!"

He looked back at me again.

I smirked. From my pocket I took out the number plate 80 and held it in front of his face. It was the number plate that I got from the woman that tried to shoot me. I can't believe it actually came of use!

After a moment of silence, I thought I heard a little "che" from GIttarackur. "Follow me, then."

Yes! I smiled at my success, and suddenly the number plate in my hand disappeared. I looked up to see that Gittarackur was held it in between his fingers.

"Payments first."

Che. Money freak.

* * *

Gittarackur lead me on for about ten minutes, and I could already sense Hisoka nearby. Not because that he wasn't hiding himself well – not that he needs to – but it's the stench of blood around him. Hisoka just killed somebody, no doubt.

Gittarackur looked back at me and I nodded. I hid behind a bush and let Gittarackur proceed on his own. I didn't want Hisoka to notice me, and I'm only here to wait for Gon. I watched as Gittarackur walk into the clearing where Hisoka rested under a tree. A man's corpse could be found there. The two men started talking; I listened a little more intently to see if Hisoka will talk about Gon.

"I've got my six points," said Gittarackur.

"Whose plate was it?" asked Hisoka.

"A woman that used a shot gun," answered Gittarackur. "She wasn't that hard."

I sighed in relief. This Gittarackur is a better guy than I thought; he actually didn't say anything about me.

And then the weirdest thing happened. Gittarackur pulled out the nails in his head and face, and his face started to contort rapidly. I gawked at the process. The ashy color of Gittarackur's face changed to a pale, white skin. Long, silky black hair flowed down from the top of his head and down to his back. His eyes turned into big black eyes that were like black holes sucking all the warmth away from the air.

"I can never grow tired of this," Hisoka smiled.

"Please don't be entertained by my face," said Gittarackur emotionlessly. "Ah, I feel much better."

Oh. My. GOD! You're kidding me! This whole time I thought Gittarackur was an ugly creep, and he actually has a pretty face hidden in there?! And how is his hair so silky?! Mine can't even compare!

Gittarackur knelt down and started to dig up the earth. And after digging up a big enough hole, he jumped right inside. "I'm going to sleep until the week is over. Good luck."

And the earth closed up, ending his speech. Okay, nevermind, he's still a freak. Then again, the world is full of wonders. Even a person like Hisoka can be counted as normal. Wait, no! Hisoka is definitely the biggest creep in the world!

I observed Hioska a little more. He was just sitting there on that tree stump. He's probably not going to move until night time. But seriously, where is Gon? I'm a little disappointed if he hasn't found Hisoka yet. Although, I have to go easy on him since he's just a kid and all. Anyhow, I'll have to just stay here until Gon comes and what not.

* * *

I can't believe what just happened. As I predicted, Hisoka did start to make his move when the night began. And by that time I still haven't seen Gon anywhere. And so I decided to follow Hisoka, before I lose the both of them. First, Hisoka's target was Leorio and Kurapkia. I was contemplating whether or not I should help them, but Kurapika was able to get them both out of that quite intelligently. A calm head really helps you in a dire situation; I need to learn from that.

After Hisoka was done with Leorio and Kurapika, he suddenly became very…strange. I mean, stranger than usually, almost like…beastly. He was excited. He probably couldn't hold himself together anymore after the incident with Kurapika and Leorio. His bloodthirsty aura suddenly burst up in level, and it was so strong that it almost made my knees weak again.

And then, his hunting began. He moved through the forest at an amazing speed; if I were a normal person, I probably couldn't have kept up with him. There was a man not too far from us, and truly, you can only say "bad luck"? The Hisoka right now just wanted to kill the closest human he comes across. The poor contestants even tried to put up a fight, but the result was already clear. But it was that moment when the most unbelieving sight was seen.

A fishing hook, undoubtedly Gon's, shot into the scene from the side and hooked onto Hisoka's number plate securely. The next second, Gon has gotten the number plate successfully in his hand.

Unbelievable.

My mouth was probably wide open. And from Hisoka's face, I can tell that he's surprised as well.

During this whole time, I never even realized Gon's presence! And neither did Hisoka! Despite all the shock, I indeed felt a bit of happiness as I watched Gon run off with Hisoka's number plate. _He did it! He really did it! All by himself!_

I ran after Gon's retrieving back, while Hisoka also pursued him. This was all going too well, so well that I didn't even pay any attention to the bad feeling I was getting in the back of my mind.

* * *

TBC.


	11. Encourage X Kurapika X Interview

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Encourage X Kurapika X Interview**

NOTE: as you read this chapter, please listen to "Haru wa Ougon no Yume no Naka" by Kalafina, after the first line break. I think it would suit the mood. And put it on repeat if you want.

* * *

Gon was caught by another contestant.

I should've known. I knew that there was someone following Gon for all this time, but I didn't do anything about it. And when Hisoka came along, throwing the number plates on the ground in front of Gon, and when Gon tried to give the plates back to Hisoka, but got punched away. I only watched everything silently from aside. Hisoka's punch was so strong that Gon could not get up for the longest time, and his cheek even swelled into an apple-sized bump. It seemed really painful, but I didn't go and help.

It's not that I was scared of Hisoka. I even told myself that Gon was definitely going to get beaten by Hisoka. But I couldn't bring myself to interfere.

_It was a chance for Gon to grow._

I watched Gon from a distance for the rest of the week. It was horrible for him. He hid in a tree. Vomiting, eating the bark of the tree, crying, and being overall helpless. It was hard for me to watch. For a kid like Gon, who's grown up in the loving arms of Mito, no matter how brave and tough he is, this would be very tough for him. But I only watched; if I turned up next to him right now, he wouldn't be able to grow. And besides, I bet he wouldn't want to be seen like this.

On the last day of this exam, Gon finally moved on. Helping Leorio get his number plate, he also accepted the fact that Hisoka had given him his number plate. To make it seem like I wasn't following him at all for the whole week, I took off ahead to the starting point. When Gon came out of the forest, I greeted him as if I haven't seen a thing, and he greeted me as if nothing happened. And immediately, he and Killua started to chatter off about the fourth exam. And as a signal of the end and a new start, we boarded the airship once again.

* * *

As everyone went off somewhere to rest, I found Gon alone in the hallway and looking out the window. It seems that he hasn't completely forgotten about the incident with Hisoka. I approached him quietly, and he turned toward me hearing my footsteps.

"Ginger-nee…"

"What's wrong?" I asked. "It's rare to see you not energetic."

Gon looked down. "The truth is that…I didn't obtain my number plate by myself…"

I motioned for him to continue. And then he told me everything that happened during the fourth exam. While I wasn't around, he practiced swinging the fishing rod all by himself. He also tried to hide his presence like Killua does, and I must say he did a very good job. And he told me what Hisoka said to him as he threw the number plates at him.

"'I'll accept it when you could do the same to me,'" Gon said with a shaky voice. "I got really upset…because I couldn't hit him back…"

I looked at Gon carefully and was taken back to see that he was crying. Never in all this time I've been with Gon have I seen him shed tear like this.

Gon sniffed and wiped his tears away quickly. Putting up a smile he continued, "And after that, I felt really shabby and alone…so I went to find Leorio and Kurapkia, because I wanted to be of use to somebody."

"Gon…" I put a hand on his head and caressed his hair softly. He looked up at me. "I understand that there are times when you feel so weak that you don't want to go on… but when you give up, that's the weakest act of all. I'm a hypocrite for saying this, because I've given up a long time ago… but Gon, you're a strong boy and I know it because I've been watching you grow."

"Ginger-nee…"

"Gon, I'm really thankful to be able to watch over you," I smiled at Gon who gave me a confused look. "When I watch you fight tirelessly, I think that…maybe I can still make up for what I've lost. Maybe I can become stronger, and then I don't have to be afraid anymore. So… thanks, Gon."

After a moment of silence, Gon smiled back at me. "I don't really get it, but I'm the one to thank you, Ginger-nee!"

The orange light of the setting sun shone on us softly. Gon's smiling face glowed with hopefulness. I gave him a nod and he ran off to find Killua.

_Really, it's time for me to stop being shameful…_

"Ginger."

I looked back toward the voice that had just called my name. It was Kurapika; I haven't seen him for the whole week. He wore a kind smile on his face, and my heart dropped a bit, remembering what Hisoka had said in the third exam.

_"But it would be really entertaining, if one day he found out that a comrade of his is actually one of those who destroyed his clan~"_

I probably didn't smile back at him. "What do you want?"

He chuckled with a slight frown. "Even now, Ginger, you won't open up to anyone except for Gon, huh?"

He walked beside me and stood there. I looked away and out the window; from the corner of my eyes I saw him do the same.

"To be honest, I couldn't trust you at all when I first met you," he said out of the blue. "I wondered why a kid like Gon would be around someone like you. You were always hiding your true strength and your background. But just now, after hearing what you said to Gon, I think…you're a good person, Ginger."

I looked at him quizzically.

"I also wanted to ask Gon what happened during the fourth exam, because when he came to Leorio and me, he didn't look normal. I was worried, but after your talk, he looks fine now," he said, and then looked at me with the kindest expression. "Even though you look like this, you're actually a kind person."

Ah. This is not good.

I'm not kind at all. If you knew what I did to your people, what kind of expression would you look at me with right now?

But be that as it may… I felt happy. Kurapika…this boy with golden hair and blue eyes…was like an angel. It felt good…to have someone's trust.

"Even if you say that, I won't be happy, you know?"

He chuckled. "It's the last round…"

"Mm…we're really close to the end," I said, relieved that the subject has been changed. "What are you going to do once you become a hunter?"

"I'm going to get a job."

"Job?"

"Something that's going to allow me to investigate deep into the Ryodan," he said with determination in his eyes.

My heart dropped again.

"What are you going to do after becoming a hunter, Ginger?"

"Hmm…" I searched my brain inside and out for an answer. "I…don't really know."

Kurapika smiled. "You don't have a dream or anything to accomplish?"

I looked at him.

_A dream…eh?_

According the contestant number 55, it should be something important to me. So important that I might not see the value of my life in front of me. But the thing is that…I don't put that much value in my life anymore, after being killed once. After all, I'm not even supposed to be alive.

"I'm…not sure," I replied. "I don't even know…what I'm supposed to do…where I'm supposed to go, once this exam ends."

Kurapika looked at me in the eyes, and saw my own confused heart. "There should be a place, a person, a thing, or a feeling that makes you happy like no other times in your life. Should you remember it, and constantly want to return to it…"

Happy?

That answer is too easy.

Some place, some person, something—a pitch black silhouette is all I see. No matter what kind of life I live right now. No matter how much I want a peaceful life right now. Every night all I can dream about is that pitch black silhouette. That man who reached his hand out to me, and I was no longer alone. The place that he brought me to, the place where I belonged, the place with those people I love. And that feeling that I cannot get anywhere else, except when I'm beside him.

And so…my dream should be…

"I guess…I want to go back to the place…where I don't exist anymore…"

Kurapika chuckled. "How come…that sounds a little sad?"

I smiled softly. "No…it's not sad at all."

"Does it have something to do with what you said about what you've given up?"

I didn't answer him.

Letting out a sigh, he continued. "In a way, we're the same. There was also a place that I loved, a place I call heaven. But it's no longer there anymore. And so, I must have my revenge."

The silent anger in his eyes disheartened me. At that moment I was truly sorry for what I've done. But it was for the Ryodan. Anything for the Ryodan I would do, same with how Kurapika would even think to kill for the Kurata Clan. I understand. Where is an angel supposed to go when there is no heaven? I understand…the feeling of wanting to go back to where your loved ones are. I understand, but…

"Kurapika, you and I are different. You were born from a place with light. And there are those of us who's always lived in the dark, and the blinding light from the outside didn't welcome us. So we roam forever in the dark, and sometimes we are okay with it," I looked at Kurapika with earnest honesty for the first time, "Kurapika, you don't belong in the dark. So please, don't let revenge chain you down and drag you into the dark."

I can't believe myself for saying this much. But being with these people all this time. Gon, Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio… I started to remember the days I spent with the Ryodan. I began to remember the feeling of having people I want to protect. I began to act a little like how I used to act around the Ryodan…but…

_I don't belong in the light._

Suddenly, I felt Kurapika's hand on the top of my head. I looked up to see his gentle smile once again.

"Thank you, Ginger."

With that, he walked away toward the stairs.

That was the kindest rejection I've ever heard. I put my hand on the cold glass in front of me, and looked at my reflection. How pathetic. How idiotic. It's always like this. I gave the boy that piece of bread, and he died because he accepted it. I gave Kurapika a piece of advice, and he rejected it. And when it comes to the end, I would be standing on the Ryodan's side, and maybe…I'll have to watch him die by one of the Spiders' hands.

I always go out of my way to do something unnecessary, something that I think would be the best. And no matter who accepts it or rejects it…it'll never be the right ending. It's always a useless effort.

I just don't want to lose what I care about, is that so hard to do?

I want to stop Kurapika's revenge.

He may get angry. He may hate me. But that's my own selfishness.

"**Contestant number 406, please come to the conference room."**

* * *

"Oh? What's wrong, number 406? You don't look to be too happy," said president Netero as I entered the conference room.

"You're right," I said nonchalantly as I sat down in front of him.

"You've come all the way to the last round. Don't you feel a little accomplished?"

Accomplished? Hmph. Maybe I can pass this Hunters Exam, but I can't accomplish the things I want to do the most.

Seeing that I wasn't going to reply to him, Netero continued, "Well then, mind if I ask you a few questions?"

I don't know if I nodded or shook my head, but he asked me anyway.

"First of all, why do you want to become a hunter?"

Ha. Why does everyone want to know the answer to this question?

"I'm not particularly interested in the title of a 'hunter,'" I replied, expecting a weird look from him, but he was indifferent. "I'm only here because of a personal debt to number 405's family, so it doesn't matter to me if I pass or not."

"I see," he said, "then, amongst the contestants left, who holds most of your interest?"

"Hmm…probably number 99," I answered honestly, "I think he's very gifted for his age and has a lot of potential. I'm interested in how he was trained."

"Then amongst the contestants left, who do you wish to fight the least?"

"Number 44," I said without hesitation.

President Netero raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I think it would be an interesting fight between the two of you. Don't you think that the two of you are around the same level?"

"No, it's just that I've had enough of him," I laughed. "Besides, if you make me fight him, he might get bored and just finish me off in a second."

* * *

TBC.


	12. Strength X Whisper X Weakness

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Strength X Whisper X Weakness**

Sometimes I think that I bring these troublesome things upon myself. The Hunters Exam is almost over, and president Netero probably won't make me fight Hisoka. And yet, here I am walking to Hisoka's room. I'm more than surprised by myself, truthfully. Since when did I start poking my nose into other people's business? Maybe it's as Nobunaga always said: Manipulation people like Shalnark and I are stubborn and always exerting our own ideas. Not to that extreme, right?

But after all this time, I might've started to like Gon and the lot. I have this strange feeling in me; something that tells me that it's not too bad to become friends with these guys.

"Nhn~ how rare to see little kitten come find me herself~"

As if already knowing that I was going to look for him, Hisoka stood outside of his room, leaning on the closed door. I'm a little used to his sickening tone by now, but it still makes me want to stay a few feet away. At least, this time is not an exam round, and I'm only here for a bargain.

"Hisoka," I cut right to the chase, "Don't tell Kurapika anything about the Ryodan."

The magician raised an eyebrow at my demand.

"Oh? All of a sudden, you care this much?"

"Just don't say anything," I said, already getting irritated by this conversation.

"Of course I can do that, but that's going to kill a lot of fun for me, and that boy is of use to me soon in the future," said Hisoka, and I have no idea what he was talking about. "So…to compensate my joy, what are you going to give me in exchange?"

He came close to me; I started to get nervous.

"Anything," I said, "anything you want me to do, I'll do it."

Hisoka's face fell as he heard my answer. He straightened up and turned his back to me, starting to walk away. "Hmm~ sorry, that's not good enough for me~"

"Wait!" I shouted at him. "What do you mean it's not enough?! I already said I'll do anything you want me to do!"

Hisoka turned his head around and looked at me with a sly smile. "What I want the most right now…_he_ can give it to me, not you. I have no use of you. It's too bad~"

_It's too bad…_

Hisoka's voice echoed in the back of my brain.

Ha. What a joke. I guess a person's value really decreases after being beaten once, doesn't it? I was going to do anything for him. But even then, it wasn't good enough. It's probably more fun for him this way. Seeing me in pain like this, he's probably snickering somewhere right now. How pathetic. I practically became his toy willingly.

* * *

We arrived at the last round's location on the next day. The last round will be in the format of one-on-one duels. Gon and Hanzo are first up. My number is next to Gon's, so I'll be fighting whoever loses in the first round. Either way, winning is not my goal here. If Gon loses to Hanzo, I'll forfeit to let Gon win. Of course, knowing Gon, he probably won't accept the title of a hunter if I forfeited, so it would be best if Gon won against Hanzo. But my biggest worry is not this. The second round is between Hisoka and Kurapika. There's no way that Kurapika can win against Hisoka, but Hisoka might have something up his sleeve. I don't like it. The smirk on Hisoka's face is telling me something, and I'm really not going to like it.

"First match! Hanzo versus Gon—Begin!"

If we judge from strength and speed, Hanzo is probably stronger than Gon right now. However, Gon's persistence won't allow him to lose that easily. For the both of them, it won't be an easy fight.

Gon started by darting to the side. He wants to gain first advantage by using his speed. But Hanzo caught up with him instantly.

"You seem confident in your speed," said Hanzo.

The ninja's hand struck down on the back of Gon's neck. Gon fell to the floor from the hit; his eyes dilated from the shock. As I thought, the gap between their skills is still too big. Besides, Hanzo has more experience in battle than Gon.

"Hey! Wake up!" Hanzo helped Gon sit up on the floor. "Do you see the difference between our strengths? It's better if you quit now."

Gon stuck out his tongue at Hanzo. "No way!"

Hanzo slapped Gon hard on the side of his head. Gon's eyes dilated again and he spit out some salivate as he knelt to the floor.

"Just think about it. If you quit now, you'll have no problem recovering for the next match. Being stubborn right now won't help you," said Hanzo as he continued to strike Gon mercilessly. "Just say it!"

"No!"

"Gon! Don't be so persistent! You have other matches!" Leorio shouted.

"Leorio," said Kurapika, "If you were Gon, would you say you've lost?"

"I wouldn't even if I die! But do you think I can tell him that?!"

"That's contradictory, but I understand how you feel."

The match continued on for another three hours, which only displayed more beating of Gon by Hanzo. By now, Gon was lying on the floor barely conscious. His body covered with wounds, the floor stained with blood.

"Hey! You gonna stop now?! I'm going to kill you if you do more!" Leorio shouted as he started to make way toward the fighting stage.

The referees stepped in front of him. "Please refrain from interfering. If you step in to help Gon now, it is Gon who will be disqualified."

"I'm fine Leorio," Gon said as he struggled to stand up. "I can bear a little more…"

Seeing this, Hanzo struck Gon again and held his arm against his back. "I'm going to break your arm," it seems that Hanzo is beginning to feel impatient. "I'm serious! So you better say it now!"

Gritting his teeth, Gon shouted, "No…NO!"

Crack.

The sound of Gon's bone breaking echoed in the large room, then followed by Gon's painful scream. It pierced my ears, and the scene in front of me pained my eyes. Gon curled up against the cement floor while holding his broken arm with his right arm. Sweat formed quickly at his forehead. Hanzo only stared down at Gon casually.

"Good," he said. "Now you can't use your left arm."

I felt Leorio's body tremble next to me.

"Oi, you guys don't hold me back," said Leorio shakily, "if this bastard does anything more, I'm going to kick his ass…"

"Calm down, Leorio," I said.

Leorio snapped at me, "You!! How can you say that kind of—"

"When this match is over, I'm going to make him taste more pain and humiliation," I said, murderous intent surging out from my feet to the tip of my hair. "So you'd better not touch him…"

"Gin…Ginger…" Leorio gulped; seeing the dark light emitted from my eyes for the first time.

* * *

The first match finally ended after another hour. Gon was so stubborn that he wouldn't admit defeat even with a broken arm. And when Hanzo threatened him, he still would not back down. Having no other choice, Hanzo forfeited the match. Gon, being as naive as ever, suggested to find another way of fighting. And finally, Hanzo knocked Gon out of consciousness and he was sent to the resting room.

Gon has passed the Hunters Exam. I smiled in relief. My job here is done.

But the worst was actually yet to come. The second round was between Kurapika and Hisoka. I wished that Kurapika would not fight seriously, because if he does then Hisoka would get excited and unable to control his urges. However, nothing ever goes as I desire. In a way, Kurapika and Gon are the same, and so is Leorio. They're the kind that never backs down, even if they will tell others to.

As I thought, Kurapika began to get serious. He unsheathed his two swords to fight Hisoka. After watching the fight for a while, I noticed that Kurapika's actually a very good fighter. I've never seen him fight seriously before, but I must say that he's no weakling. I'm sure that Hisoka agrees with me there. Hisoka was getting excited; I can feel it in his aura.

That's not good. If Hisoka loses it, Kurapika would be in trouble.

One of Kurapika's swords cracked after a while. This match will be over soon, if Kurapika makes the right choice. However, Hisoka smiled wickedly as if to taunt me. He walked toward Kurapika calmly, throwing off all animosity. Suddenly and quickly, he looked at me with a smirk. I felt something drop down to my stomach from my chest as I watched him lean over and whispered something in Kurapika's ear, and Kurapika's eyes instantly burned with a beautiful red color.

There's no way that I could forget those eyes, after being glared at with hatred by hundreds of them.

_Hisoka told him something. And I won't be able to face him again from now on._

Due to Hisoka's forfeit, the winner of the second round was Kurapika. Kurapika walked back toward us without a word, and not even a glance at me as he stood beside Leorio. I felt numb. When the referee called out my name for the third match, I wouldn't budge until Leorio gave me a push. My feet brought me upon the fighting stage; I stared through Hanzo, who stood on the other side of the stage.

It doesn't matter anymore. Gon has his Hunters License. It's too late to stop Hisoka from telling Kurapika anything. I don't want to be here. But where can I go?

"Third match! Hanzo versus Ginger—begin!"

Hanzo scratched the back of his head. "Geez! Why does my opponent have to be a child, and then a girl?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You said during your match with Gon that you're eighteen, right? In that case, I am definitely an elder to you, so don't mess with experience. Besides, I'm in a bad mood right now, so don't hold back."

"Well, I really can't lose this round anymore," said Hanzo, "but if I accidentally hurt you, Hisoka wouldn't kill me, right?"

My eyes almost fell out of their socket. "What?!"

"Throughout the exam, you were always really close with Hisoka, weren't you?" Hanzo said, "I'm sure many others here are witnesses as well!"

All eyes in the room suddenly moved toward Hisoka, who casually leaned against the wall with a card pressed to his lips. Smiling sneakily, he blew me a kiss. "Do your best, my little kitten~"

Oh, I want to kill him right now!

"You see! You see!" Hanzo appeared to be nervous.

"Don't believe a word he says!" I said irritably. "I'm the last person he'll be interested in! He won't do anything to you, so come at me with all you have!"

_I don't worth a breath to him._

"Well then, pardon me, Miss Ginger—"

Hanzo's expression turned to a very serious one. He really can't afford to lose again in this round. The determination in his eyes was admirable. I'd like to let him win easily, but just for what he did to Gon in the first match, I'm not going to let him off the hook.

The ninja darted toward me with amazing speed. If I'm not mistaken, he has much of the same heritage as Nobunaga. Clearly, they are both very fast. But too bad for him, I'm one of the fastest back when I was with the Ryodan. Being a Manipulation specialist, I was not the strongest when it comes to physical strength, so I improved my speed to make up for it. The only one in the Ryodan that's faster than me was probably Feitan.

I avoided Hanzo's attack easily and gave him a smack on the back of his neck. He knelt down on the floor from the shock. Surprise was written all over his face.

"Hmph," I surveyed my hand, "That was my first time trying that move. I probably didn't hit you in the right spot; you were supposed to be knocked out."

"You…"

I smiled down at him. "Saa, don't hold back this time."

Hanzo came at me once again, this time with weapon and all. I liked the look in his eyes. In a few years, maybe I won't be able to beat him. So right now, I'm going to use this chance well. As Hanzo swung his arm at me again, I took hold of it and twisted it to the back of him, binding his movements. He cursed under his breath. I chuckled softly as I moved my hand up to the joint in between his forearm and upper-arm.

"Let's see…" I said teasingly as I watched beads of sweat roll down his cheek. "Thanks to an acquaintance of mine, I know exactly which bones you broke in Gon's arm."

"You're not—"

"It will heal quickly," I said lastly.

Crack.

"_AAAAAHHHHHH---!!"_

I never would have thought that I'd appreciate Feitan's aesthetics.

Hanzo struggled to get up from his position. He grabbed his limp left arm hard to ease the pain. He said through gritted teeth, "I…I'm not going to give up…"

"You won't have to," I smiled. "I forfeit."

"WHAT?!"

The room seemed to echo with several people's voices at once. The other contestants all gawked at me. Even the referee didn't think to announce the winner.

Hanzo was, of course, dumbfounded. "You…you forfeit?"

"Yeah," I said casually, "why not? You said it's the right choice in the first match, right?"

"But clearly you are…" he swallowed, "stronger than… Gon…"

"Well, I have no interest in the Hunters License," I said, "It's just that I'm in a very bad mood right now, and what you did to Gon is part of the reason, so I broke your arm. That's all."

"That's…"

"Referee," I turned to the man in black, "please announce the winner."

"Ah, yes," the referee said quickly, "the winner of the third match is Hanzo!"

I walked back toward Kurapika and Leorio, ignoring Hisoka's glare and Killua's unbelieving gaze.

"Ginger…" said Leorio, jaws still hanging down, "I didn't know…you were this strong…"

I laughed.

"No. I'm weaker than you imagine."

* * *

TBC.


	13. Brothers X Cold Blood X Sunset

A/N: Just out of curiosity, how does everyone prefer the page setup of fanfiction website? Personally, I like to read stories with the 3/4 option. How about everyone else?

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Brothers X Cold Blood X Sunset**

_"Whoa! Shoga," Shalnark almost jumped as he saw me walk into the hideout. "What happened to you?!"_

_I stumped my feet as I ignored Shalnark's question. From top to bottom I was bruised and covered with scratches and dirt. Feitan, who walked beside me, was clean as porcelain. The other members of the Ryodans all looked toward us at Shalnark's question. Even Kuroro looked up from his book to see what was going on. A few members like Nobunaga and Phinx made a choking sound and turned away quickly. The loudmouth Ubougin held nothing back, and roared with laughter._

"_Ha ha ha—look at you, Shoga! Don't tell me that you got all of these from chasing those Blacklist Hunters!"_

_I blushed as I glared daggers at Ubougin, who felt nothing through his thick skin. Feitan looked to the side with an annoyed expression. "I can't believe you fell for their trick. I thought you were supposed to be sensitive to 'auras' or something."_

_I gave Feitan a tearful look, which was only ignored. Just a few minutes ago, the Spiders hideout was raided by a group of Blacklist Hunters. Most of them were taken care of by the other members, while three of them tried to retrieve. By Kuroro's orders, Feitan and I chased after the three that tried to get away. It only took us an instant to catch them. Feitan went on to fight the strongest of the three, while the other two were left for me. _

_It was a mistake of mine. I should've killed them as soon as I could, but I left them half alive. While I was taking care of the last one, I didn't realize that the other was only faking his unconsciousness. He had a special ability to transform his appearance into another's. When I turned to look at him, I faced a very injured Feitan. I couldn't react at the scene, and let my guard down. The other broke free from my manipulation and the two fought back. If it weren't for the real Feitan who came back quickly, I would've been in trouble. _

"_My bad…" I said, looking at Feitan. "I was too engrossed on the thought that something happened to you to notice the different auras…"_

_Feitan glared at me. "As if I would be injured by those half-ass Hunters!"_

_I was feeling annoyed at myself already, so it made me angry when Feitan didn't even care for my feelings. "Hey! I was only caring about you, shorty!"_

_Feitan scoffed. "Don't go 'caring' about people when you're this weak, useless brat!"_

"_I'm not—"_

"_Shoga."_

_I swallowed my words as Kuroro called my name. great. He's going to scold me, isn't he? "Kuroro…Feitan started it…"_

"_It's Danchou," Kuroro said as he closed his book. "Come here."_

_I walked toward Kuroro, who reached out a hand to me. I sat down next to him in my usual spot, and he put his hand on my head. It's weird but, somehow it always calmed me down. _

"_Sorry if I bring the Ryodan down…" I pouted._

"_Become stronger," Kuroro said calmly. "Everyone here has to fight their own battles. When you've become stronger, you can say anything you want."_

* * *

The fourth match was between Hisoka and Bodoro. Obviously, the match was completely one-sided, and there's no way that Bodoro could win. I didn't even bother to watch the whole match. Honestly, at this point, I don't care anymore. The match ended quite quickly. Somehow Hisoka made Bodoro admit defeat after whispering something into Bodoro's ears.

"Fifth match: Ginger versus Killua—begin!"

I faced the young boy who stared back at me with an unreadable expression. This will be my last match. Killua is an interesting kid, and I'd actually like to see just how strong he is. But there's still that beauty-in-disguise in the audience, who deliberately told me not to get close to Killua. In any case, I shouldn't stick my nose into other people's business, so I should just forfeit quickly.

But I can't resist playing with him a little.

"What's wrong, Killua?" I smiled brightly. "I'm waiting for you to attack first!"

Killua, however, ignored my taunting and smirked at me. "Referee! I forfeit!"

Did I just hear that right?

"What?!" I spat out. "What did you just say?!"

"You heard me! I said I forfeit!" Killua stuck a tongue out at me playfully. "I don't want to fight someone weak like you! You can't even beat Hanzo!"

My jaws dropped. Killua, on the other hand, smirked at me. The kid knew that I was going to forfeit! He knew and he forfeited before I could! I narrowed my eyes. And then I understood; Killua did not just forfeit to mess with me. He was confused about that's happened so far in the last round. Hanzo let Gon win even though he could've made Gon forfeit in some cruel way, Hisoka let Kurapika win even though the gap between their levels was obvious, and I let Hanzo win even though I already broke his arm and everything.

For a kid like Killua who never lost, he probably couldn't understand. And now knowing that I was going to forfeit to him, he probably can't accept that.

I sighed. Kids these days can only teach themselves.

"All right," I said as I patted him on the shoulder. "Well, good luck on the rest!"

"Hmph!" he shook off my hand.

* * *

The next match was probably the most unforgettable match for anyone among us right now. I already knew that Killua would not be able to defeat Gittarackur. I thought that this match would just be over quickly and Killua would get a taste of his own medicine. I completely forgot about Gittarackur's somewhat mysterious persistence toward Killua, and I was finally reminded of it when Gittarackur showed his true appearance in front of everyone. And the revelation of the relationship between Killua and Gittarackur…was just too shocking.

"Killua," said Gittarackur as he pulled away his disguise, "Long time no see."

Killua's expression definitely changed from casual to a great form of _fear_. "Big brother…?"

That caught everyone by surprise. I would've never thought that these two were related at all. That explains why Gitta—no, now revealed as Illumi, was threatening me about getting close to Killua. But no matter how I look at it, Illumi was a lifeless, cold human being while Killua was this…bratty little kid!

"Mom and Milluki told me that you hurt them," said Illumi.

"You could say it like that," Killua replied.

Hurting your mom and family? Sounds like something that brat would do.

"Mom was so happy that you've grown up and cried."

Nevermind. This whole family is whack.

"However, Mom was worried about you, so she wanted me to come and find you," Illumi continued. "I was surprised! I didn't know that you would want to become a hunter. I actually needed to obtain a hunter's license for my next job. It's an unexpected meeting."

Killua's eyes shifted nervously. "I…didn't really want to become a hunter. I was just bored."

"That's good to hear," Illumi said emotionlessly, as if sucking any kind of feeling away from the atmosphere. Even I felt kind of cold. "You won't become a hunter. You're born to be a killer. Maybe you will need the hunter's license in the future, but not now.

You're just a dark puppet. You have no passion or desire. The pleasure you get is from the death of people. Just as father and I taught you…"

Illumi continued to chant on as if hypnotizing Killua. I looked at the younger boy worriedly. So this is the difference between Gon and Killua.

"It's not that I want to be a hunter," said Killua. "But there is something I'd like to have!"

"No, there isn't." Illumi denied him out right.

"Yes, there is!" Killua raised his voice. "I want to become friends with Gon! I'm… I'm fed up with killing. I just want to be friends with Gon, and have fun like a normal kid."

"That's impossible; you're incapable of having friends," said Illumi. "The only judgment you can pass on a human is whether or not to kill him. You only think that you want to be friends with Gon because you're always with him and you're amazed by him. One day, you'll going to kill him because you want to find out whether you could kill him or not. You're born to be a killer."

I felt Leorio take a step forward beside me.

"Killua! I don't care if he's your older brother or not, but he doesn't understand anything!" Leorio shouted hotly. "You said you want to be friends with Gon? Can't you see? You guys are friends already! At least, Gon thinks that way!"

Illumi looked in our direction.

"Really? So the other party already thinks he's Killua's friend," Illumi put a hand to his chin as if to ponder. "That's no good! I'll just have to kill Gon then!"

Illumi started to make way toward the big gate. The others also moved in front of the gate, seemingly to stop Illumi from going any further. The empty spots beside me felt a little chilly; when did Leorio and Kurapika walk to door? I looked down at my feet; why haven't I taken a step?

That's right. Even if I stand beside those people, it wouldn't make a difference. Without power, there's nothing that we can really do. Even if we stopped Illumi here, even if Killua can somehow escape it this time, there will be next time and many times after that. Even if it's not today, one day Illumi will bring down Killua again, completely taking away his small hope. People will always be bound by the place they come from, until they become strong enough to break away by themselves. Right now, Killua is only a bud. But once he blooms, he'll be able to reach toward the sun, and he will grow higher than the fence that binds him.

But right now, it's not something that any of us can stick our noses into.

Illumi decided against killing Gon right now. Turning back to Killua, he continued attack Killua's mental state. Beads of sweat formed quickly on Killua's face as Illumi approached slowly. Illumi reached out his long, pale fingers toward Killua, pressing the younger brother with only words. It hurt me to see the look of lost in Killua's eyes.

"Killua! We won't let Gon get killed! So just go on!" Leorio, who was back in his spot next to me, shouted out loudly as if trying to wake Killua up. "Whatever he'll do we'll stop him! Just do what you—"

Leorio was stopped cold; he jerked around, looking at his arm and then at me. My hand was trembling lightly, even with the tight hold on Leorio's arm. From the corner of my eyes I saw Kurapika turn to look at us.

"Don't interfere."

"What?" Leorio looked a bit taken back by my words. "What are you sa—"

"Don't interfere," I repeated, "it's their…private business."

Leorio pulled his arm away from my grasp furiously. "How can you say that, Ginger?! Aren't you our comrade?! I thought that you were a good person since Gon trusted you so much, but in the end you're just cold-blooded!!"

I couldn't hear a thing in my ears. It felt like people were looking at us, but what does it matter? I'm cold-blooded, and I don't care, right?

I smiled, making Leorio twitch. Without any words, I walked away from the platform, away from the contestants, away from the anger in Leorio's eyes. As I walked away, I might've saw Hisoka's smile in my direction. But it doesn't matter; I won't feel a thing. I pushed the door open, and stepped outside without looking back.

The sky outside was a mix of orange and red; the sun was already setting, but you couldn't tell back in that room. I put my hand to my eyes and pressed on them. _Damn. _The bright light inside that room was making my eyes hurt. Sliding down against the wall, I sat down let out a deep breath. I removed my hand from my eyes, and studied the fluid that is now all over my palm, my fingers, and my cheeks. It was hot. Like boiling water. _It's because I'm cold, isn't it? _It must be.

Why is it all happening? Why do I feel like this? Like a sandbag that's been sliced open. When did I start putting my trust in Gon? When did I start caring about these people that are supposed to be my "comrades?" When did I start seeing them as my comrades? When did I start showing this kind of emotions?

It's all because I'm not strong enough. If I hadn't been defeated by Hisoka; if I hadn't been saved by Jin; if I hadn't met Gon; if I hadn't met Leorio, Kurapika, Killua… it wouldn't hurt this much. I wouldn't be feeling this…utter defeat. But I'm not strong enough. I'm too weak. I can't stop Hisoka from telling Kurapika about the Ryodan, because I don't have anything in my ability that can offer him. I can't say things like "I'm going to protect everyone," because I'm not Gon, or Leorio, or Kurapika. Because I'm cold. Dead cold.

_Damn. _When did I start belittling myself so much? Wasn't I just as loudmouthed as Ubougin, as sneaky as Shalnark, as strong-willed as Nobunaga? Why do I feel so small right now? It's as if I'm back to Meteor Street. _Kuroro. _When I look down at my shadow, I feel like I can see Kuroro's dark eyes, dark hair. And then I remembered the day that I met him. Back then, I already knew that Kuroro was strong. I still remember how strong his hand was when he held mine. Was it warm? I don't remember.

_Kuroro…_

I only thought I was strong because of Kuroro. Because the Ryodan was always with me. I was always under the protection of the Ryodan. How stupid. So I got way ahead of myself. Without the Ryodan—without Kuroro—I'm actually nothing, aren't I?

I looked up to the sky and the breeze dried my face. When was the last time that I cried? I remember. It was the day after Jin had saved me. It was a dark night, and Jin was asleep. I cried silently, remembering the sight of my comrades leaving me behind. And I was alone. But…I'm still alone now.

I'm not sure how long I've been sitting out here. I eyes were dry and my legs were asleep. Then I heard the door open behind me. Slow steps followed the path to leave this island. It was Killua; blood dripped from his hand as he walked away without a word. His eyes were cold and they lost their color. I didn't chase behind him; I only sat still in the same position. I wonder if he would be able to hear it, if I said something to him?

"Killua…" I heard myself say, "Become stronger. Become stronger and you can say anything you want. Become strong and break free."

Killua did not stop nor turn nor reply. He continued to walk away, leaving a lonely wind that could only move the sands on the ground.

* * *

TBC.


	14. Pakunoda X Trust X Purpose

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Pakunoda X Trust X Purpose**

"_Everyone, gather!" _

_A small group of children around my age gathered in front of me and the black-haired youth as he gave a clear order. All of them stared at me curiously._

"_What's your name?" the black-hair asked me in a low voice. _

_This boy didn't even know my name and brought me to his "hideout." I didn't even know his name, and I followed him nonetheless._

"_My name is Shoga."_

"_Kuroro," he said shortly, stepping forward to step into the crowd of children, facing me directly. "This is the Genei Ryodan, also known as the Spiders. Shoga is going to be a part of us from now on."_

_And that was how I became a member of the Ryodan without a clue about anything at all. It's really a strange thing—this thing called Trust. Although only meeting for a short while, I found myself trusting Kuroro completely. Even the other members took some time, but with Kuroro I felt like I could trust him with anything. Maybe it was the aura that he emitted at all times. The aura of a leader, never faltering and always make me submit to him._

_Despite the rough looks that most of the Ryodan members took on, they are actually all very easy to get along with. Even people like Feitan and Machi, although they are mostly hostile and prefer to act on their own, they actually don't mean any harm. By the time that I have got know everyone in the Ryodan, there was only one person who I could not get along. Or rather, she would not accept me. And that was Pakunoda. _

_Maybe I shouldn't say that she didn't trust me, but at that time we probably couldn't understand each other. I mean, she wasn't the only one that had problems with me joining the Ryodan. However, since it was Kuroro's choice, no one said anything against it. And after time, the other members began to accept my place. Everyone except Paku. It wasn't as if I didn't try to approach her; in fact, I tried so numerous times. But sometimes I feel like Paku was even colder than Machi. She normally would not say a word to me; when I called her "Paku" she even glared at me. _

"_Paku, Shoga, you two take on this job," said Kuroro one day during the Spiders' meeting. _

"_Eh?" I was a bit shocked at Kuroro's order. Surely he knew that I wasn't on good terms with Paku. I even talked with him about it one time during dinner. And that time, he only replied to me with "Paku is an important part of the Ryodan, and so are you."_

_I peeked at Paku from the corner of my eye to see her reaction. She only kept her stoic expression._

_The mission was an easy case; Paku and I were able to finish within a day. As we made our way back to the Spiders' hideout it was raining. For this whole time we hadn't spoken a word to each other, not even during the mission. I was just thinking of how awkward it was until I realized that Paku had stopped in front of me. I followed her gaze to a dark alley and saw a small, living thing there. It was a black cat. I looked at Paku and was a little surprised that her expression has somewhat softened. _

"_Paku…" I could not help but murmur. Staring back again at the black cat, I chuckled a little. "It sure reminds you of Kuroro, doesn't it?"_

_Hearing me speak, Paku's face hardened again. "You need to call him Danchou."_

_I smiled sourly. Although it was short and didn't answer my question, at least she spoke back to me. "Paku, you really like Kuroro, don't you?"_

_Her head snapped back at me. "What are you--?"_

"_Do you want to know what Kuroro told me about you?"_

_Paku was silenced; I almost laughed at how obviously she wanted to know._

"_He said 'Paku is an important part of the Ryodan,'" I said. "Paku, I didn't have anybody until I met Kuroro. I was always alone in Meteor Street. In fact, the first thing I can remember was just the life of Meteor Street, not of my parents or anything else. If it weren't for Kuroro, I wouldn't even be talking right now. Kuroro is important to me, and the Ryodan is important to me. So even if you don't like me, I'm going to keep bugging you as if you're my friend!"_

_Paku stared at me in shock, and then made some sort of exasperated sigh mixed with a bitter smile. _

"_Do you want to know what Danchou told me about you?" she asked in return._

"_Eh?" Not knowing that Kuroro would say something about me, I was completely curious. "What did he say?"_

"_He said 'Shoga is a stubborn girl, so please bear with her.'"_

"_Huh? Ugh, that Kuroro is such a jerk!"_

"_It's Danchou."_

_Although Paku intentionally avoided the subject I brought up, it felt like the air between was a lot lighter from that point on. _

Not long after Killua completely disappeared from my view, one of the Hunters Association guys in suits came out and motioned for me to come back in. The Hunters Exam was over; seven people passed, Killua failed. Thinking back on it now, the Hunters Exam was not particular long, nor difficult. But there were definitely many, many things that I'd rather forget, and yet I so desperately remember. And so at this point, my mind has been completely blank.

After a good rest, the contestants who passed were gathered in a lecture hall. The walnut-headed man explained to us everything we needed to know about the Hunter's License. Of course, I didn't listen to any of it. My mind wandered off quickly, but it did not wander far. In fact, there was really no where for it to wander off to. And soon, the others began to debate about the incident with Killua. Kurapika and Leorio argued that Killua should still pass the Hunter's Exam, because he didn't forfeit out of his own will. These guys are very loyal and trustworthy friends; however, that is why I'm not suited to be a part of them.

It might be embarrassment or something along the same line, but I kept my distance from Kurapika and Leorio since the exam ended. The two of them seemed to find it awkward as well, so they did not say a thing and only looked at me for a split second when they found me seated next to Hisoka. Although I hate Hisoka for everything he's done to me, I must thank him for not saying anything weird before the others. Of course, I won't thank him personally.

And then, Gon's appearance took us by surprise. Trudging through the aisle and stopping in front of Illumi, and then demanding him to apologize to Killua. Gon was truly an amazing kid. Unlike me, who couldn't even look at Gon in the face this whole time.

"I don't need qualification to be Killua's friend!" Gon exclaimed as he threw Illumi out of his seat. "I'll bring Killua back!"

Nothing was resolved in the end, but Gon's words still shook everyone. As the contestants—now Hunters—were dismissed, I quickly left the conference room, following Hisoka. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio stayed behind to speak with Illumi personally. I know that running away right now would make Gon dislike me even more, but I really don't know how to face them.

"Sa~ I don't mind if the little kitten wants to follow me around, but I'm going to put a collar on you if you want to be my pet~"

I glared at Hisoka as he said revolting things. It's hard to believe, but after all this time, I've sort of gotten used to Hisoka's way of speaking. Although I still prefer not to hear it on a regular basis.

"I'm sure you don't mind watching me suffer like this," I grunted sourly.

Hisoka sneered. "I think I'm a little addicted to this~ Your reactions when you almost reach your goal but get smashed into the ground~"

"………"

I decided not to reply to his comment. The door behind us was pushed open; Illumi came out and joined us. I glanced at the wrist that was grabbed by Gon. It was all red and swollen; Gon was seriously mad. I've lived with Gon for such a long time, and I've never seen Gon so angry before. I smiled unconsciously; it's nice to have friends you care so much about. But then again, that's the exact reason why I'm miserable right now.

It took me a while to notice that Illumi was staring at me. I stared back at him, and then looked away in a few seconds. His eyes are too dark and hollow; I can't read his expression at all. And it kind of reminded of Kuroro's dark eyes.

"If you thought that I was on your side during your match, then you thought wrong," I said, affirming my stand.

Illumi completely ignored my comment. "Did you think Killua could beat me?"

"No," I answered with a sigh, "But if he really wants to break away from you, he will be able to sooner or later."

Illumi stayed silent. All I could hear was Hisoka's snickering. Not being able to stand these two weirdos, I made my way out of the building.

The sky outside was very blue and it stretched thousands of miles. The sky in Meteor Street was always polluted. The air in the Spiders' hideout was always very dark. The sky right now reminded me of the days that I spent peacefully with Gon in Whale Island. Gon is probably going to head off to find Killua right now, and Leorio and Kurapika will probably follow him, because they're very loyal friends to start with. I took a deep breath and sighed.

_I'm alone again..._

"Where do I go now?" I asked myself in a murmur as I looked on towards the horizon.

"Ginger-nee!"

I twirled around to see Gon running at me energetically. Kurapika and Leorio followed behind him with a bit of distance. I felt my heart twitch. I never thought that I could be this nervous in front of a few kids like these. I tried to force a believable smile; if this is goodbye, I should at least do this much. Even if he was mad at me for saying those things to Killua.

"Gon, I never to say to you... Congratulations on becoming a Hunter!"

Gon smiled as he scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, Ginger-nee! Although Ginger-nee did much more cool things than I did from what I heard from Satotsu!"

My heart raced. "So where are you going now, Gon?"

"I'm going to find Killua!" As I thought, Gon answered without hesitation. "Leorio and Kurapika are coming too!"

"Oh, really?" I tried to sound indifferent. "That's nice, having something that you have to do. I don't even know where I'm going to go from now on..."

"What are you talking about, Ginger-nee?" Gon asked confusedly. "You're coming with me, aren't you?"

"Eh?"

The fake smile that I wore was suddenly wiped off of my face, and replaced by a blank look. The pure, sincere look in Gon's eyes captured me. The way that he asked me that question... it was as if it's the most natural thing that I'm supposed to go with him.

"Ginger-nee cares about Killua, right?" he asked again.

I don't know if Satotsu told Gon about what I said or not, but the words that Gon is saying right now... are saving me.

"Yeah," I laughed shakily, "I guess my brain just malfunctioned a little back there! Of course I'm going with you!"

Gon smiled brightly at me, and two people's shadows also caught up with Gon's. I looked up to see Leorio and Kurapika looking at me. Leorio had a nervous look on his face.

"Um... Ginger? I didn't really mean what I said to you during that match," Leorio scratched his head while his face flushed. "I accidently let anger take over my head. I'm sorry!"

It felt like someone pinched my nose and a sour feeling poured out. Water was forming behind my eyeballs.

_Oh, no. If this is becoming a frequent thing, I'm going to go insane!_

"Ginger-san," I heard laughter in Kurapika's voice. "I guess we're not separating until a little later."

It's an amazing thing when you can suddenly breathe so easily. The sky was still clear and stretched thousands of miles. But at least, I'll be able to walk a few miles with people I trust. With a purpose.

TBC.

A/N: Sorry for the late update! My laptop is completely dead, and I couldn't do anything for weeks! Right now, I'm even typing this chapter in Google Docs! I hope this doesn't continue, but I'll just have to bear with it until next month!


	15. Kukuru Mountain X Tour Guide X On Watch

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Kukuru Mountain X Tour Guide X On Watch**

From what Gon has been telling me, it seems that Illumi gave him information about the Zoldick's lair fairly easily. It's located on the Kukuru Mountain, not that I know where that is. It's surprising that Illumi told them this information so easily; it just shows how confident Illumi is about the strength of their family, I guess. The Ryodan kept their hideouts very secretive, not that we're scared of intruders, but it's more of a place where all of us gathered. Indeed, I was very interested in what the Zoldick's family is like. Although, it's best if we don't get into any conflicts. The Ryodan has had a controntation with someone from the Zoldick family before. I don't know how strong he was placing in the Zoldick family, but he was frighteningly strong. The member that he killed was a new one, and I don't remember much about him. If he'd been after me, I probably wouldn't survive either.

Knowing the danger and everything, Gon is still as hyper as ever. Actually, I'm not quite sure if he knows about the danger or not. While traveling on the airship and train, he dragged me everywhere and would not stop for a minute. I'm starting to regret tagging along; I don't know what I was thinking, but I should've been happy that I don't have to look after Gon anymore. But this is the first time that I'm willing to do something, knowing that I'm putting my life on the line. I guess it's a good thing that I'm doing this.

Gon was finally sitting down on a seat next to a window, although he was still jittery.

"Look, Gon," said Leorio as he pointed outside. "That's the Kukuru Mountain! Just looking at it gives me bad feelings."

The black silhouette of Kukuru Mountain can be seen from miles away from the tips of many trees. It really does emit an eerie feeling. "It just looks like a volcano. Nothing scary."

Kurapika looked at me curiously. "I didn't know there were volcanoes in the Navalla continent."

"Oh! I traveled a lot, that's all!" I said quickly; I can't believe he still remembers that stupid lie I made up long ago. "Gon, are you sure that you're okay with going straight to Kukuru Mountain like this? Your arm is..." I tried to change the subject.

"It's gonna be fine! We're only going to visit a friend!" Gon said optimistically while waving his bandaged arm (it was still broken). It's pretty much confirmed that Gon does not understand how dangerous this task is.

* * *

It took us a couple of days to get to the hustling city. The first strategy was to gather up information by asking around the people around here. I've seen this step many times when I used to watch Feitan and Shalnark play their video games. I always asked that "isn't it faster to beat the game to just look at a strategy guide?" But Shalnark would only shake his head at me, and tell me that a lazy bum like me would never understand the meaning of beating a game with one's own effort. And he's right. Personally, I'm not very into video games. I tried to play _Road Fighters _with Feitan once, and he KO'ed me over and over again mercilessly, even though I was a beginner.

Anyway, as my mind was wandering off, we decided to ask a kind-looking lady at a vegetables stand. Apparently, she's seen many travelers like us.

"Just go that way over there," she pointed in a direction while smiling kindly, "There will be a bus that will take you to Kukuru Mountain."

The four of us eyed each other; that seemed a little too easy. But nonetheless, we thanked the kind woman and headed off toward the direction she pointed to. Indeed, there was a group of travelers there at the bus. Not to mention that they all looked like tourists with cameras in their hands, and the lady in pink at the bus's door held up something that resembled a tourist flag.

"Travelers who wish to visit Kukuru Mountain please aboard this bus!" the lady called out cheerfully.

I could see the sweat drops forming on Kurapika and Leorio's heads, and Gon was actually going along as if he was on a trip. But really, the Zoldick's family is an eccentric one. Not only do they not hide their lair, they even welcome people to visit! Don't tell me that this is one of their ways to publicize themselves! There's no way that there are that many people who need assassins nowadays, are there? At least, not ones that charges such large payments! (Well, seeing as how Illumi is such a money-freak, he must've gotten it from someone in the family.)

* * *

The tour bus took us up the Kukuru Mountain, and we finally arrived in front of an enormous gate that almost covers the sky. The tour guide explained to us that the gate was known as "The Gate to the Other World." Meaning that once you get in, you won't get out alive. Well, the eeriness of it does help to convey the message.

"Miss guide!" Gon raised his hand. "How do you get inside?"

The guide's smile hardened and her eyebrow twitched. "Kid, did you not hear what I just explained?"

"Yes, but…"

"If you get inside, you won't come out again alive!" The guide said through a forced smile, "This is a killer's lair, you know?"

I pitied the guide lady. I know exactly how hard it is to get something through Gon's head. Back in those days, no matter how many times I told him not to mention Jin's name in front of Mito, he would not understand. And usually, we end up with no dinner. I sighed and tried to pull Gon away from the guide, just as two men stepped behind them.

"It's a bluff, isn't it?" The bulkier of the two said. His body shape and form was massive and chunky. Although, compared to Ubougin, this guy's muscles just don't come close to an even match. I mean, not even bullets can get through Ubougin's muscles. "A phantom murderer family…that sounds too fishy!"

"I heard somewhere that there's a bounty of 100 million for just a picture of one of their faces," the slimmer of the two said. The guy had a long nose and small, sneaky eyes. In a way, he looked sort of like Nobunaga. I snickered a little on the inside; when Ubougin and Nobunaga are together, there were never a moment of silence or a moment without chaos.

"We're gonna get the truth outta this rumor," they approached a small house in the corner of the gate, seemingly the gatekeeper's place. "I bet there's no danger there!"

I raised my eyebrow at the two. They have a lot of guts and not much power from what I can tell. Although, the Zoldick Family shouldn't get so worked up just because they want to snap a picture of them. If their lair has already become a tourists' attraction, what's the big deal with pictures? With Illumi's pictures, they might even get double the customers. Females, that is. Speaking of Illumi, if he knew that a picture of himself is worth that much money, I wonder if he would just sell his pictures to the public. I mean, he's pretty great at disguising himself, so there's no real danger of selling his pictures, right?

As my mind of drifting off, the two heroic fighters have already punched the gatekeeper to ground and took away the keys by force. Gon ran over to the gatekeeper's side to help him up. The gatekeeper was a middle-aged old man. The Zoldick Family is too much of a bully to give an old man this kind of job! With their money, they should be able to hire someone stronger and let this old man answer phones or something!

"Are you okay?" Gon asked the old man.

"Yes, yes," the old man said as he propped himself up, looking a little bit troubled. "Hnn…Mike is going to get more food than usual. If he gets fat, my masters will be angry…"

Mike?

I suddenly got a shiver and my legs tensed up.

"What's wrong, Ginger-nee?" Gon noticed my uneasiness.

"I have a bad feeling," I said. "Like there's something I don't like behind that door."

A few moments after the two idiots went in the door, a short scream was heard. And a couple of minutes after that, the door was opened again. A giant, furry hand protruded out of the opening, holding clean and meatless corpses with its claws and dropped them on the floor. My jaws dropped at the size of that hand. The white fur and the low growling that came from it sent shivers down my spine. Usually, I don't get these kind of reactions from animals, unless…

"This is what will happen to the intruders," the gatekeeper said, scratching his head. "They'll get eaten by Mike, the guard dog."

_AHH! _It was as if electricity zapped through all of my nerves, and every hair on my body stood up at once. Heaven knows how much I detested _dogs!_ Ever since I was born, there was not one dog that did not hate me, and there was not one dog that I did not hate! No wonder I've been sensing something awful ever since we got off the bus! There is a _dog_ here; and a giant one, too!

Leorio took off his shades and blinked; Kurapika rubbed his eyes and looked harder. Not at the corpses on the floor, but at me.

"What?" I asked as Leorio suddenly put his hand on my head.

"Nothing," he answered, retrieving his hand, "I just thought I'd seen a pair of cat ears on top of your head. Must've been the long bus ride that tired my eyes out."

I raised my eyebrows.

By this time, the tourists and the guide were all scared out of their wits and were running back to the bus. Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and I stayed in our spots next to the gatekeeper. Even though I had a big urge to get on that bus as well.

"What are you guys still doing?" the bus driver yelled at us. "Hurry and get on the bus!"

"Ah, that's okay, you can just leave," Gon said, "We're gonna stay here!"

The bus driver and the gatekeeper turned to look at Gon in shock. I really knew I shouldn't have come here. I was still getting goose bumps from the sound of that dog's footsteps walking away.

* * *

"I see. So you guys are Master Killua's friends."

The gatekeeper, now introduced as Zebulo, made us all some tea in his little cabin after the tourist group left. He seemed really happy about us visitors. For all twenty years of his life that he's been working for the Zoldick Family, there haven't been visitors like us. The reason to that is pretty obvious.

"I'm really happy that Master Killua has friends like you," Zebulo said with a kind smile, "But unfortunately, I cannot let you enter."

"Why?" Gon asked instantly after Zebulo's refusal.

"You saw what happened, didn't you? Mike only obeys the orders of its masters; it's been like this for more than ten years. Its job is to kill off any intruders. And more than obedient, it is greedy. I simply cannot let Master Killua's friends turn into bones."

"Tell me, Zebulo-san," Kurapika stepped in, "why are you unharmed?"

"Eh?"

"You can enter, can't you? Otherwise, why would you have this key?"

Zebulo chuckled. "Good remark, Kurapika-san. But you are only half right!" He showed us his collection of many keys. "These keys are for the intruders. The side door is a trap for intruders and a straight road to Mike, who will eat them. So appearance aside, I'm only a gatekeeper that cleans up Mike's mess!"

A janitor! Now, the Zoldick Family really doesn't know how to treat their employees right.

"So the truth is that the real door has no lock," said Kurapika.

"That's correct!" Zebulo smiled approvingly.

"What?" Leorio and Gon exclaimed.

* * *

Zebulo took us back to the "Door to the Other World", and Leorio was the first to stump in front of it and pushed. The door didn't budge. Leorio groaned as he pushed harder and harder, sweat producing from his forehead and his palms turning white.

"Aaaargh!" Leorio shouted as he panted on the ground. "It's no use! No matter how hard I try to push, it won't open!"

"That's only because you're weak," Zebulo said bluntly. Leorio's face turned a furious red and I stifled my laughter. "The door's real name is the 'Door of Verification.' Ones who cannot open the door are not qualified to step into the Zoldick Family's grounds!"

Zebulo took off his dress shirt and breathed slowly. Under his shirt, his muscles were unexpectedly well-toned, and I could see a nice flow of energy surrounding his body. With one great push, Zebulo opened the door slowly and let go; the door slammed shut right away. So the gate-keeping janitor was more than his appearance. Maybe he could've even fought off those two back there on his own! Although, compared to Illumi or even Killua, he is not even close to the Zoldick Family's level.

"Mike does not attack the people who enter through this door," Zebulo said through deep breaths. "Might I add that each one of these doors weigh double the ones before it, and the first door weighs two tons. When Master Killua entered, he opened three doors."

"Three doors," said Gon, "…twelve tons!"

"…sixteen tons, Gon," Kurapika corrected him kindly.

I looked up at the tall seven-doored gate. I don't know much about mathematics, but if Killua can open three doors, I wonder how many I can open? But then again, I don't care enough to actually try. I'm too much of a lazy bum.

"I don't like this," said Gon, "Why do I have to go through a test just to see my friend? Zebulo-san, lend me your keys!"

"Eh?" Not only Zebulo, all of us were shocked.

However, Gon's gaze did not falter one bit. "I only want to see a friend, so why should I pass a test? Being an intruder suits me better!"

Become an intruder…and face that _giant dog?_ Gon, come to your senses!

"Gon, are you crazy?" Leorio exclaimed. "Did you not see that giant paw back there? Just one paw was bigger than you!"

Yes! Leorio, I side with you!

"Even so, this kind of stuff doesn't work with me!" Gon said stubbornly. "Testing his friends is weird, isn't it?"

"Gon," I said shakily, "Listen, I can probably open that door, so why don't I open it, and you all crawl under me or jump over and get in?"

"No, Ginger-nee, then that would be no different than passing that test! I refuse to enter through that door!"

Technically, I'm the one that's gonna be tested, so GON, DON'T BE STUBBORN AT A TIME LIKE THIS!

"Gon, we have some time, so why don't we try to open the first door?" Kurapika tried to convince Gon as well.

Gon didn't answer Kurapika's question, and simply stuck out an opened hand at Zebulo, demanding the key. Zebulo looked at Gon with trouble. Damn it, Gon, why don't you listen? I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT DOG!

"Gon-san," Zebulo finally stepped in and said calmly, "If you insist on going through the intruder's door, I must go with you. There's a small chance that Mike might remember my smell, and therefore not attack us."

That statement made Gon think twice. "No, Zebulo-san. I don't want to bring you any trouble."

"Staying here would be the same," said Zebulo, "If Master Killua's friends were to die in front of me, then I could never face Master Killua again. If you die, I'll die too."

Gon seemed to understand and retrieved his hand. "I understand. Please forgive me. I didn't think of you, sir."

All of us sighed in relief, and Zebulo nodded at Gon kindly. When Gon actually understands a situation, he's actually a good kid. Gon would never ever want anyone around him to be injured, no matter how confident he is in his own strength.

"Gon, you like animals, don't you?" asked Zebulo suddenly.

"Eh? Yes," Gon answered.

"I'll open the door of verification once more. This time, you guys take a good look at Mike's face."

…………

In the end, I still have to see this Mike, don't I?

* * *

As promised, Zebulo led us inside the Zoldick property through the Door of Verification. It was already night time, and I could feel that creature's presence around. With Zebulo's calling, the guard dog appeared. All the hairs on my body stood up again as I laid my eyes upon the _huge, monstrous DOG_. Without realizing, I was already shivering at the sight of his dark and empty eyes, and so was Gon.

"Mike is a perfectly trained guard dog," Zebulo explained. "It's like a killing machine. Did you think you could communicate with him, Gon-san?"

"Yes, until I saw his eyes…"

"Do you want to fight it?"

Gon shook his head immediately.

Zebulo nodded in acknowledgement.

After seeing Mike, Zebulo took us to his house, which was still a cabin, although bigger than the one outside. He lived with another hunter in this cabin. In the house, everything was heavier than a normal person's house. Zebulo explained that it is a way to train so that they don't lose their jobs. And so, Zebulo invited us to train in his house so that we can all enter the Zoldick lair through the Door of Verification.

"This…is…madness!" Leorio panted as he tried to walk around in the iron vest and iron slippers.

"I guess with this kind of training, we can open the door within a month," said Kurapika as he tried to drink tea from the 20kg cup.

"………" I sipped the hot tea quietly. The vest and slippers and everything added some weight, and it is indeed kind of heavy, but as a former Spider I can do this kind of thing just fine. I looked around and made sure that no one paid attention to me, and planned to take these things off in the bathroom later. These things won't work much as training for me, anyway. However, I did not notice Zebulo's eyes on me at that point.

The moon hung high in the night sky. Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika slept soundly from a day's hard work. And I trembled slightly under my sheets as I heard Mike's howl from far away.

TBC.


	16. Persistence X Cellphone X My Way

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Persistence X Cellphone X My Way**

"Amazing! In only two weeks, Leorio-san can already open two doors!"

Just as you can see, Zebulo was excellently amazed by the progress made by each of us. Leorio can already open two doors, Kurapika can also open one, and Gon, with his arm completely healed, can open one as well. I have to say that these guys really do improve at godspeed! Especially Gon, since his arm shouldn't even have healed within such a short time! But honestly, this is still not enough to match the strength of the Zoldick Family, which is why I'm still worried.

"Yay! Ginger-nee opened one, too!" Gon exclaimed happily as I walked through the Door of Verification.

"Gahahaha!" Leorio laughed with his hands on his waist. "So I'm still the only one that can open two doors!"

Zebulo looked at me with a meaningful smile. "Ginger-san, you can actually open more than one—no, even more than two, right?"

"Eh?"

"I noticed that you didn't use much effort to open the door. And during these two weeks, you took off the weighted accessories secretly, didn't you?" Zebulo explained ("What? Really?" exclaimed Leorio.) "Don't you want to know how many doors you can open?"

I looked at the Door of Verification and back at Zebulo. "Not really. That kind of thing doesn't interest me. I only have to open one door to get through, so why bother opening more?"

Zebulo's smile became deeper, and I looked at him confusedly.

"Your big sis is admirable, Gon-san," Zebulo said cheerfully at Gon, but looked at me. "The world is filled with greedy people, and there are too many of us who are obsessed with power. It's good to see some people in this world so selfless!"

Selfless?

Sir, I think you've mistaken my laziness for something _way_ out of bound.

In any case, Zebulo instructed us to follow the path that pointed toward the dark mountain in the distance, and if we do so we should be able to reach the Zoldick mansion. Zebulo said that he hasn't even gone that far himself, so he doesn't know much about the road ahead. So they're even cautious toward employees of lower status, eh? But the Door of Verification also implies that if you're strong, then you're qualified to meet the Zoldick members. Turning down the weak, but welcoming the strong? The Zoldicks sure are mysterious people.

"Thanks, Zebulo-san! We'll meet again!" Gon waved at the old man.

Gon didn't want to waste any time. The time should be around noon and the sun should be high up in the sky, but we were covered with such thick layers of trees that there were not much light at all. The forests in Whale Island were also really dark at night, but that fact that it's Whale Island makes everything very peaceful and it puts you at ease. Now if only Jin just dropped me off somewhere on Whale Island instead of in front of Mito's house, how would my life be right now?

But when I look at Gon, I don't feel so regretful. Wanting to be Killua's friend no matter what, doing whatever I can to be friends with that person...I used to be the same way long ago, didn't I?

* * *

_"Shalnark, what's that?"_

_"This?" Shalnark looked up from the small object he held in his hand. "You have good eyes, Shoga! This is the newest AND hottest model of cellphone out in the market today! I've been following this online for a long time, and I got myself one once it came out!"_

_"Wow...it does look really nice..."_

_"Doesn't it? Not only does it take pictures and videos, it also allows you to watch TV!" Shalnark said proudly, sounding like a salesman. "How about it, Shoga? I can get you one!"_

_"Thanks, but I already have a cellphone," I said while taking out my own phone._

_Shalnark almost laughed at the phone in my hand. "You're kidding! That's just about the oldest model I've ever seen! How long have you had that ancient thing?"_

_I furrowed my eyebrows. "Well, it's not like I need to take pictures or anything! Besides, I barely have the chance to call anyone. And there are only the Ryodan members in my contact list, anyway!"_

_The truth is, the Ryodan members never made calls to each other frequently. Most of the time, the members were called only for gathered meetings. And with me being with Kuroro most of the time, I rarely get any calls. A cellphone is more useful to Shalnark, since it's his Nen ability anyway. _

_"But it's nice to have those functions! You never know when you'll need them!" Shalnark said waving his new phone in front of me. "And look! Don't you want to hang some cute chains on your phone?"_

_"No! Why would I want to hang things on it? It's big enough as it is!"_

_"That's what I've been trying to say! These new models are way smaller and convenient!"_

_"But I don't want a new phone!"_

_"Shoga, are you a girl or not?"_

_"What? Shalnark, what are you trying to say?"_

_"I...nevermind! I don't know what to say to you!"_

_Later that day, I crashed open Kuroro's door and plopped down on his bed, still mad at what Shalnark said about me earlier. Kuroro, being the kind of man he is, sat in his chair quietly while reading his book. I never really know if he was listening to me or not, but most of the time I just assumed that he did. Besides, I never thought about complaining to anyone else. _

_"Kuroro! Do you know what Shalnark said to me?" _

_"It's Danchou," said Kuroro calmly._

_"He said I'm not a girl!" I continued, disregarding what Kuroro said. "Just because I didn't want a new cellphone! Isn't he unreasonable?"_

_Kuroro removed his eyes from the pages. "A new cellphone?"_

_"Yeah! Just because I'm fine with the one I have now!"_

_Kuroro looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Shoga, you still use the first phone you've ever had, don't you?_

_I nodded. _

_"You don't want a new one?"_

_I thought for a while, and then shook my head. "I can use it fine. Besides... it's something that Kuroro gave me... so I don't like the idea of replacing it with something else..."_

_Kuroro's eyes still looked unreadable. "Shoga, is there something you would like__?__"  
__The sudden change of subject caught me off guard. "Eh? Well, if you ask me so suddenly, I can't really think of anything..."_

_Kuroro changed the subject again. "Why did you join the Ryodan, Shoga?"_

_"Why are you asking me when you're the one that dragged me into the Ryodan?" I raised an eyebrow. "Kuroro, sometimes you're even weirder than Shalnark."_

_A small smile crept up Kuroro's lips. "It's Danchou," he put a hand on my head, "are you going to sleep here tonight?"_

_I looked at Kuroro in confusion, but threw it all behind my head in a couple of seconds, even the fact that I was mad at Shalnark. "Yep!" _

_Kuroro nodded and returned to his reading. I crawled under the sheets and fell asleep fast; no one could really fall asleep completely when they lived in Meteor Street. It's amazing that I felt so much peace and comfort sleeping besides Kuroro. But now that I think about it, I don't have any memories of Kuroro sleeping while I did. He was always reading his books, not making any sound as I slept._

* * *

The path that we were walking was very long. It was already sunset when we arrived at a small gate, where a young girl who looked about Kurapika's age stood. Dressed in suits and with a cane in her hands, she looked cold and serious.

"You're not allowed to go further than this line," the girl said as she drew a line an inch before the tip of her toes.

"Why?" Gon asked angrily. "We passed the Door of Verification! And we're only here as Killua's friends!"

"Even so, I cannot let you into the private property," the girl said firmly. "Now, please leave."

The Zoldick are quite unreasonable people. They might as well not put the Door of Verification there if you can't go into their property even if you can open it! However, Gon, being the person he is, advanced toward the girl anyway. One step over the line, and the girl swung her cane at him, sending him flying back at us.

"Gon!" I yelled, running up and catching the boy in my arms.

"Dammit!" Leorio charged at the girl. "Even if you're a girl, I won't hold back!"

The girl was obviously stronger than Leorio. Leorio was sent back flying, and Kurapika as well when he went against the girl.

I stood up. "Hey, you better…" But Gon stopped me by grabbing my wrist. "Gon?"

Gon looked at me determinedly. "Let me do this!"

Gon approached the girl once again, this time not so angrily as last time. But really calmly instead. "That skateboard there…" Gon eyed the green skateboard propped up against a tree, "that's Killua's. Why is it there?"

"Master Killua gave it to me," the girl said emotionlessly.

"That skateboard is really important to Killua!" Gon said as he took another step. "He wouldn't just give it to anyone!"

"Master Killua gave it to me," the girl stated again.

Gritting his teeth, Gon took a step across the line, and the girl hit him again. Gon landed in front of my feet; I glared at the girl. Gon's nose was bleeding…shall I break her nose as well? But just when I took a step, Kurapika stopped me this time. I frowned at him, but looking at Gon again he shook his head at me as well. Gon must've seen something in this girl that he didn't want to fight her. I sighed; this kind of situation happens quite a lot with Gon. But I can't do anything about it.

We decided to rest for the night before challenging her again. We, or just the guys, washed their faces at a small river nearby. Leorio hissed at his swollen face. The poor guy, it was even the same side that Hisoka punched.

"Ginger-nee, no matter what happens to me tomorrow, promise me that you won't hit her," Gon said to me before we were going to sleep next to the trees.

I looked at Gon with unusual seriousness. "I promised Mito that I would protect you from danger. If you're going to risk your life, I won't allow it."

"Don't worry, Ginger-nee! I'll be careful!" Gon smiled innocently. "There must be a reason that Killua would give his skateboard to that girl. And she doesn't seem like a bad person."

I sighed again. "Fine, I won't step in."

"Thanks, Ginger-nee!" Gon said happily, and turned away to sleep.

The night was quiet; all you could hear were the sound of the running river and the light breathing of the guys sleeping around. I looked at the guys' peaceful faces; they sure fall sleep quickly! Now that I think about it, I haven't been able to sleep soundly for a long time. The only times that I could sleep like that were when I was next to Kuroro, and when I lived with Gon in Whale Island.

Not able to sleep, I looked at the stars and thought about what had happened lately. I thought about Gon's persistence in front of the girl today. Surely, the girl is going to become very frustrated by Gon's stubbornness tomorrow. I say this right now, but I think that I'm actually a little jealous of how persistent Gon is. I think I've been in a slump ever since that day that Hisoka "killed" me. I stopped caring about everything; I even thought it was a bother when Jin saved me. I never really appreciated the second chances I got.

But things were starting to change. I started liking the way that Gon called me "Ginger-nee" all the time. I started liking the company of Kurapika, Leorio, and even the bratty Killua. I started to feel scared when I thought I was going to alone again. I was so happy when Gon wanted me to go with him.

"_The world is filled with greedy people, and there are too many of us who are obsessed with power.__"_

Maybe it's time that I start being greedy. Maybe it's time that I start wanting something. I fumbled my pocket and found my cellphone that I haven't touched in so long. I flipped it open; the contact list still only contained the same few people as before. I looked over all of their names, remembering their faces.

It'd be nice if I had pictures of them on the phone, wouldn't it?

_"There should be a place, a person, a thing, or a feeling that makes you happy like no other times in your life. Should you remember it, and constantly want to return to it…"_

My eyes lingered on the name at the top of the contact list. What are you doing right now, Kuroro? You're probably reading again, right? I closed the phone and looked at the starry sky again. If there was something I wanted right now, I wanted to see Kuroro. I wanted Kuroro to ruffle my hair. I wanted to hear Kuroro call me "Shoga." I won't hear it again, but I'm Ginger now.

I sat up and examined my hands. I want to reach out my hands at your retrieving back, but there are places in the world where I can't reach even if I run.

_"Shoga, is there something you would like?"_

It's okay, right, Kuroro? I won't see you again, so I'll just keep my memories of you sealed away. And starting now, I'd like to forget about you and the Ryodan. I don't know if I can really accomplish that, but I want to be there for Gon. There are certain things Gon needs me for, and I need Gon as well. I'm going to follow Gon, and return to Whale Island. It's okay, right? Kuroro, I'll become strong, even if you won't hold my hand anymore.

A movement so quick that human eyes could not have seen, bells jingling could be heard in the nearby bush. I stood up and smoothed out my dress before I made my way toward the bush.

"You've been watching us since morning," I said when I'm out of the hearing range from the guys. "It's too bad, but it looks like I've caught you."

I looked down at the young girl who was now glaring daggers at me. She was dressed in some kind of eastern clothing, and her hand grasping the hairstick that was now stuck in her right side. What a fearsome child; she was able to fight against my manipulation that much at such a young age.

"Tell me your name," I said.

"…" the little girl struggled to keep her mouth closed, but she couldn't. "…Kalluto Zoldick…"

"A child of Zoldick, eh? I thought so. You have a similar scent as Killua."

Kalluto, at the mention of Killua's name, glared even harder at me. The Zoldicks sure discipline their children well; Kalluto reminded me of how cautious Killua was when he first met me. Although, it's just their skills. Their attitudes need some more work.

"Well, I'm not going to ask you why you were following us, since I'm not that interested," I sat down in front of Kalluto so that I was eye-level with her. "You look a bit smaller than Killua. You're Killua's younger sister?"

"Younger brother."

Eh? Are all Zoldick boys pretty like this? Think about Illumi, this young one might grow up prettier than that one! I reached out my hand to touch Kalluto's hair, which made _him_ glare at me with more hatred, but he can't do anything under my manipulation. It's soft as I expected! I couldn't have done this to Illumi; who knows how many Nen hairsticks I have to use? And the less I understand a person the weaker my manipulation!

"Oh, okay then, Kalluto," I looked at the boy with half-opened eyes. "Answer me, what is your brother Killua's cellphone number?"

Kalluto's eyes widened at my question. I smiled at him, materializing another hairstick in my hand.

"Come on, spit it out! Don't make me stick another one of these on you! It hurts, right?"

Unable to fight against my Nen, I successfully obtained Killua's number from Kalluto.

"Good boy! You can leave now!"

The young boy glared at me again before taking off, the hairstick in his side. I should've told him to forget what happened. But oh well, the Nen should restrain him from speaking on his accord. Even if the hairstick is taken out, as long as he hears bell jingling, the Nen should still function.

"Now then, shall I get to work?" I muttered as I pressed the dial button on my cellphone.

There are things that Gon can do that I can't. And there are also things that I can do that Gon can't. This is my way of helping Gon at the sideline.

* * *

The phone rang a few times; nobody picked. I dialed again, and the result. Not until the 4th time that I called did someone finally picked up the phone.

"Damnit! Will you stop calling? I'm doing something important!"

"Ara, Killua! Did you get beat up so much that your cheeks got swollen? You sound so different!"

"You—fool! I'm not Killua!"

"You're not? Then who are you?"

"I'm Millu—no, wait! Why should I answer yo—"

"May I speak to Killua?"

"Hmph!" I heard Millu's eerie chuckles from the other side. "Listen now, this brat is being punished right now! He can't even hold up the phone! If you need someone killed, you can contact me through my website—"

"Can't you just hold the phone next to his ear? I called Killua's cellphone for a reason!"

"You…! How dare you talk to me this way!"

I held the phone a little further from my ear. "Listen, if you don't let me talk to Killua, I'll…"

"Hahahahaha! Are you trying to threaten a Zoldick?" Damn bastard, cut me off.

"_Oi, Milluki! If you're going to talk long on the phone, go outside! I can't sleep with your noisy voice!" _I heard Killua's voice faintly from the background.

"Shut up, you brat!" I heard the cracking of a whip. "Know your place…ah! Grandpa!"

Next, I heard some shuffling. Then the next voice that greeted me was someone old, but by the powerful voice he had, he was probably someone strong.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Killua's friend. Who are you?"

"I'm Killua's grandfather, Zeno." That Kalluto…is this really Killua's cellphone?

"I want to speak to Killua."

"Are you the kid that Zebulo said was coming for Killua?" he asked. "I didn't expect it to be a female."

"I want to talk to Killua, but I'm not here to save Killua."

"Oh? Then what are you here for?"

"I'm here as a baby-sitter."

"…"

"Just now, your employee just beat up my employer. I'm here to ask for compensation."

After a long silence, a laughter roared from the other side. "Ha! I like your tone. I'm passing the phone to Killua!"

"…"

Nobody answered the phone for a long time, but I could hear a steady breathing. Killua was listening on the other side. My heartbeat became faster; it felt a little awkward calling him like this since we weren't exactly on the best of terms last time we saw each other. But there's no turning back now, so I took a deep breath.

"Killua, you still alive there?"

"…Che."

"Don't 'che' me!"

"Che! Che! Che! Che! Che!"

"…is that how you treat someone that's trying to get you out of this place?"

"Can a stupid woman like you really do it?"

Brat. "When I save you, the first thing I'll do is sew your mouth together."

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Hmph. There's no point arguing with you," I looked up at the dark, gigantic mansion in front of me. "I'm outside of your…home, right now. Tell me which room they locked you in!"

"…What?"

* * *

TBC.


	17. Surrounded X Change X Goodbye

A/N: It'd be nice to listen to "Reminiscence" from Chrono Cross OST after the second line break. Just a suggestion!

**Trouble is a Friend  
Surrounded X Change X Goodbye**

The Zoldick manor is definitely the place to be when you have too much time on your hand and if you enjoy a life-size maze game. For your information, the directions that Killua gave me was: once you enter the door, turn to the left, and then turn right, go down three flights of stairs, turn right, turn right, turn left, and it will be the big metal door in front of me. First of all, there are too many doors to this damn mansion for me to know which one. Second of all, who in the right mind would sneak into somebody's mansion through the front door? But apparently, Killua himself doesn't even know the way to the dungeon any other way, so I'm stuck here to figure it out on my own. The only thing I know is that he is somewhere in the basement, and the rest I'd have to rely on his scent and aura.

It's been an hour or so that I've been roaming around in this mansion. First, I broke into the mansion through a window nearby. And then I found a staircase somewhere and began going down. Three flights, and now I try to sense Killua's aura, but it's no good because this house is full of people with similar auras! How big is Killua's family?

"Oi! You there! Where do you think you're going?" a familiar voice shouted at me from behind, just I was going turn at the corner.

I looked back to see a...n enormous human, with several layers of excess meat and a lot of perspiration. His small eyes were squeezed into slits, but I'm pretty sure that he was glaring at me. I eyed some of the small black objects that he held in his hand, sensing some danger. However, I kept my calm.

"Can I help you with something?"

"You! You're that person on the phone earlier!" the big guy barked at me. "How did you get in here?"

"Oh! You must be Millu!" I clapped my hands together.

"It's Milluki!" he raised his voice, "Answer my question! Actually, it doesn't matter, because I'm going to annihilate you right now!"

He threw some of the black things in his hand at me. Those black things turned out to be bombs; I jumped to the side to dodge them, but their force was stronger than I'd expected. The force pushed me back into a wall, creating a crate. I patted the dust on my clothes away as I stood back up. For such small bombs to have such big impact, they're quite useful!

"Hahaha!" came Milluki's high-pitched laughter in front of me. "Now you know who you can't mess with! Maybe I'll try out my new invention on you!"

I chuckled. "You shouldn't come so close to me!"

"What?"

Milluki couldn't finish his sentence before I shot my weapons at him. In a split second, a two new additions were added to Milluki's shoulders. Milluki's hands instantly dropped to his sides, and his mouth closed shut. Milluki, you may have some potential, but an easily-irritated person like you is too easy to manipulate! Now, what should I do with you...?

Just as I was going to speak out a command, another voice stopped me.

"Stop right there!"

Tsk. It's that older man on the phone. I don't even have to look back to feel the extremely powerful aura coming from him. I turned my head slowly to see a white-haired, strict-looking, old man standing with his hands behind his back. His eyes looked into mine straightforwardly. I breathed deeply, wiped the sweat that was producing in the palm of my hands against my clothes; I have to keep calm!

The old man's glance shifted toward Milluki, and he muttered something like "pathetic grandchild."

"Manipulation using sound, eh?" the old man commented. "That's no easy task. No wonder Illumi said you were an interesting person."

"Um... thanks?" I replied without thinking. "Wait, Illumi said something about me?"

The old man glanced at me again. "My name is Zeno, Killua and Milluki's grandfather."

"Oh," I nodded, not knowing what to say. "Er... my name is Ginger, Killua's...friend."

Old man Zeno finally smiled, in a crude way though. "When I heard that Killua's friends came and passed the Door of Verification, I thought they were just a bunch of clueless kids with some excess strength. (You're kind of right about that.) But I didn't think that Killua would encounter someone as strong as you in the Hunter Exam."

Should I take that as a compliment?

"But you know," he continued. "You're still a thousand years away from beating me!"

I quickly pointed another hairstick at Milluki, cautious with Zeno's movement. "If you move a finger, I'll kill him!"

"Don't worry, I won't attack you!" Zeno made his way to Milluki's side and examined my Nen. "Tsk, tsk. What an ineffective way to use your Nen. It's true that manipulation with sound is strong, but your method has too many weakpoints!"

...What?

"First of all, your manipulation depends a lot on how well the person hears the sound. And secondly," he removed my weapons from Milluki's shoulder. "Because you cannot control the sound, your manipulation is ineffective after the person does not hear the sound for a while."

Milluki's eyes suddenly switched back to consciousness, and he yelled, "Damn woman! Let me blow you into-"

"Silence!" Zeno bellowed.

I looked at the old man in shock and confusion. What is he trying to get at? Pointing out my weaknesses like that...

"Thirdly," Zeno continued, "The range of your voice and your medium is also too long for convenient manipulation."

"Well, I can't do anything about that!" I snapped, getting annoyed at his jabbering. "It's not like I can control how loudly those bells jingle!"

"You fool!" Zeno bellowed once again. "If you make the sound, you'll have better control of it!"

"What do you mean I make... the... sound...?" my voice trailed off an idea hit me. That's right! If I can make the sound, instead of the bells making the sound, my manipulation can be a lot more effective! I can even eliminate the need to speak out the commands, and just manipulate through a constant sound! How come I never thought of this simple way to improve myself? Better yet, how did Shalnark and Kuroro not think of this?

Oh, right. I was always under their protection, anyway.

But how should I do it? How do I make a constant bell sound? I can't possibly jingle bells in my hands while battling! That's just too lame! Wait, there's that-

"I don't know why you're helping me, but you may be teaching me a bit too much!" I whipped up a smile.

The old man chuckled. "Hmph! You're too weak right now to even think of marrying into the Zoldick family!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

I was literally stupefied by Zeno's shocking statement for a good five minutes. And so was Milluki by the looks of his speechless expression. I took a deep breath and let it out... WHAT? There must be some sort of misunderstanding! But why would there be a misunderstanding in the first place? Marrying into the Zoldick family? Who would I want to marry, anyway? Killua? That would be what you'd call 'pedophilia'! Who else is possible? Milluki? I would not marry this guy even if you kill me! Kalluto? I'm not about to marry a little boy prettier than me!

Am I missing anyone?

"...Um, I think you've mistaken something..." I said weakly.

Zeno raised his eyebrow. "Why else would you keep trying to get close to-"

"Grandpa! What is the meaning of this?" a high-pitched, female voice interrupted Zeno at the most important part.

I turned around to see a...robot, seemingly female, dressed in some sort of gothic puffy dress with a matching sunhat. Next to her was Kalluto, wearing a new set of clothing. I'm guessing that her wound has been treated, and she brought some back-up. The female robot finally noticed me, and she pointed at me angrily.

"You!" she shrieked, "You're the one that hurt my Kalluto!"

"Huh...?" My mind went blank once again. By 'my Kalluto', do you mean that you're Killua's mother? Someone please explain to me, is a hybrid between a robot and a human possible?

"Oh? You can even hurt Kalluto?" Zeno looked at me again with interest. "You do have some potential."

Potential to be turned into a robot? I think not.

"More importantly," Zeno continued, "what do you need?"

That question was directed at the robot-lady. She seemed to ponder deeply, until she finally remembered what she was here for. The hysteric expression came back to her face. How could I tell? Well, the screen on her eyes turned all red and stuff.

"Oh, yes! Grandpa! Why did you let Killua out?"

"..."

Come again?

I twirled around to face Zeno. "You let Killua out?"

Zeno shrugged. "That kid's got his share of punishment. He should be sitting with his father and chatting right now."

"You mean I broke into this mansion for no reason?"

"Well, you _could_ go find Killua in his father's room if you want."

This whole family really do know how to piss someone off.

Just as I was going to let out a big sigh, I sensed an incredibly strong aura coming our way. All my muscles tensed instantly; I turned around quickly, only to come face to face with a fearsome man with long white hair and well-built muscles. His cold eyes stared down at me sternly, and I had to force myself not to tremble. This is the leader of the Zoldick family, I could already tell.

"Oh, you're here, Silva!" Zeno said casually.

"Father," the man named Silva nodded at Zeno slightly in recognition.

"Silva!" the robot-lady shrieked. "What did you end up doing to Killua? Don't tell me that you let him go!"

Silva stayed silent, only staring at me.

"Oh, no..." the robot-lady figured as much, and muttered weakly.

A drop of cold sweat ran down my cheek. That's right, I'm in an extremely dangerous situation right now. I'm surrounded by five Zoldicks right now. And my only hostage-Milluki-has just been freed. My only possible bet right now is the opening where Kalluto is standing. If I can knock her out in less than two seconds, I can probably escape with my speed. The problem is _where_ am I going to run to? By the looks of things, I might run to a dead end right away!

After staring at me for so long, Silva finally began to speak. "Killua is on his way out."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're...going to let me go, too?"

"I have no intension of keeping you here," said Silva.

I gulped. That should be a good thing, but why do I feel like what he's really saying is 'you're not fit to be a bride of the Zoldick Family, so get out!'

"Silva, why?" the robot-lady asked sadly, her 'eyes' showing white noise and all.

"That kid will always be a Zoldick," Silva said as matter-of-factly. I furrowed my brows at his statement. "If he wants to go out and see the world now, I'll let him. But he will always be my son, and that means a Zoldick. Soon he'll realize the real purpose of his life, and come back to this home."

"He won't come back!" I blurted out without thinking. "Killua's different from you guys! He's changed!"

"People don't change. Killua will soon realize the difference between himself and Gon," said Silva without any faltering. "You're no exception. You have the same scent as someone troublesome I've had to deal with before. Killua will also feel threatened by you one day, and he will kill you. That's the blood of an assasin."

I gritted my teeth. I wanted to retort back at him, but I couldn't. He was letting out so much murder intent and strong aura that it pressured me. Being surrounded by five Zoldicks, I felt like I was freezing. I didn't want to admit that, I couldn't think of anything to retort with. But I just know that with Gon, Killua will definitely change. And I will, too.

Unable to stand being pressed by these five Zoldicks' auras, I decided to take my leave before Silva changed his mind. Surprisingly, Silva took a step aside to give me a way out. I kept my head low as I walked past him; his eyes were just too stingingly...cold.

"Hey..." I halted. "Um, how do I get out?"

"..."

* * *

With Zeno's _kind_ and detailed explanation, I was able to get to the room where Gon and the others were kept at successfully. When I finally arrived Killua was already there, laughing and joking with his friends. Kurapika was the first to notice me.

"Ah!" He noted with a smile, "There you are, Ginger!"

I returned a weak smile.

"Ginger-nee!" With Kurapika's words, Gon finally noticed me. He ran at me at full speed and crashed into my chest; it's getting harder and harder to keep myself standing from this kid's mauling. "Ginger-nee, where did you go last night? We were worried sick about you!"

"We thought you got captured by Killua's family or something!" Leorio joined in.

"Well...I kind of did..." I scratched the back of my head, my volume getting softer and softer each word. "But I got out fine... I think..."

"Hmph!" I looked down to see Killua glare at me condescendingly. "Look who's talking? The person that kept on saying something about saving me? I'm surprised that you even made it out alive!"

Brat. If it weren't for your stupid directions, I wouldn't have had gone through all that.

That's what I was going to say before my thoughts stopped myself. Silva's words echoed in my head, and I shut my already-opened mouth. I looked straight into Killua's eyes, which made him look at me weirdly. I could see it. Even if it's not as clearly as Gon's, I could still see the bit of innocence in Killua's eyes. He's still a kid, and he truly wants to be friends with Gon. This is why I didn't want to believe what Silva was saying.

"Wha..what?" Killua snapped. "Stop looking at me like that! It's creeping me out!"

"Killua," I said, more serious than usual, "if you ever feel like you want to kill again, then kill me."

The pale boy widened his eyes.

I switched to a pleasant smile. "If you even have the ability to kill me, that is!"

"Che!" Killua rolled his eyes at me. "As if I'd go back on my own words..."

With that said, Killua ran to catch up with Gon. I sighed, both for Killua and from relief. That was an unexpectedly peaceful result of this Killua rescue mission! Although, the one in the most danger was me, wasn't it? I even brought that upon myself. Am I naturally attracted to trouble now?

* * *

The five of us left the Kukuru mountain on a train, destination being the airport. Kurapika and Leorio took this chance to rest themselves; they were fast asleep. Gon and Killua, on the other hand, were too excited to sleep. They stuck their heads behind the curtains, and chitchatted about who-knows-what. I laid resting in my own space, watching the silhouette of the Kukuru mountain disappear in the distance. I wonder how Killua feels about leaving his home once and for all. I mean, I know he wanted to leave for quite a while, but there should still be some kind of sentiment he would feel toward the place.

I remember the day that I left Meteor Street with the Ryodan. It was quite a weird feeling, like saying goodbye to a mother. Ah, and I already decided to forget about the Ryodan too! I am Ginger now. I've left the Ryodan for good. Too bad, I never said goodbye to them. I wonder if I said it in my heart, will it be able to reach them somehow?

I closed my eyes.

_"Tsk! Shoga, you should start eating more like me, so your legs don't eventually turn out like this!" was what Ubougin said when he waved that cleanly-eaten chicken leg._

_"Do you know what spirits your bell sounds can summon, Shoga? A bunch of wild kittens!" was what Bonolenov said when he saw me practicing manipulation._

_"Shoga, the day that you can be faster than me, I will teach you the cheats in Road Fighter II!" was what Feitan said when he beat me for the thousandths time, both in speed and the darned game._

_"Shoga, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop climbing on my back. I am not a tank!" was what Franklin said when I was in the process of leaping on his back._

_"No, Shoga, I can't make you a real-life Danchou. I can make a corpse though, if you want!" was what Kortopi said when I annoyed him with endless questions about his copying abilities._

_"Shoga, you need to take care of yourself," was what Machi said whenever I asked her to keep my wounds a secret from Kuroro._

_"Shoga, if you stay too close to Ubougin, his stupidity will spread to you!" was what Nobunaga said when I used Ubougin to practice manipulation._

_"Shoga, the days are getting colder," was what Pakunoda said when she saw my year-long thin dresses._

_"Hey, Shoga, just what is it that you and Danchou do when you're alone?" was what Phinx always asked, but he would get hit by one of the members before I could answer._

_"Hahahaha! Shoga, you always give me a good laugh!" was what Shalnark said whenever I displayed my lack of knowledge of the world.  
"Shoga, thanks for always calling Danchou by his name, or else Shizuku would probably forget what it is," was what Shizuku said whenever I got scolded for my 'disrespect' toward Kuroro._

_And..._

_"Shoga," was what Kuroro said to draw my eyes to him._

_"Come here," was what Kuroro said with his hand reached out to me._

_"Call me Danchou," was what Kuroro said when I selfishly called his name all the time._

_"Meow," was what Kuroro said whenever he felt like teasing me._

_"Shoga," was what Kuroro said on the day that we met, "you're not allowed to leave me."_

_And I said, "Okay."_

I opened my eyes and my eyes kind of stung. This...is the last time that I'll think of them.

* * *

The lot of us stood in a circle in the middle of the airport. It's strangely fitting, because we knew perfectly that we were going to go separate ways. My eyes followed the airships coming and going, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, Gon asked everyone where they were all going.

"I'm going to go find a job," said Kurapika, the exact same thing that he'd said to me during the Hunter Exam.

"I'm going back home," said Leorio, "gotta start studying to become a doctor!"

"I..." I started, a little nervous, "I'm...gonna go with Gon, until he's safely back in Whale Island."

Gon beamed at me, to my relief. Killua made a 'che' sound. I glared at him.

"I'm going to become stronger, and return this to Hisoka!" Gon exclaimed as he took out Hisoka's number plate during the Hunter Exam that he kept all this time. I remember the day that Gon obtained this number plate. That's why I wasn't surprised when I found out that I have to face Hisoka once again. I'm not even going to rant about this anymore. I've accepted the possibility that Hisoka will bring a lot more troubles to me in the rest of my life.

"Well, if you want to find Hisoka, I know that he'll be in York Shin once it's September first," said Kurapika, "and I'll be there also."

My heart thumped. I knew exactly why Kurapika would know where Hisoka's going. By having Hisoka, Kurapika's already grasped the tail of the Ryodan. Although I've sworn not to think about the Ryodan anymore, but honestly with Kurapika's strength right now, he'll be killed right away. I really hope that he doesn't do anything irrational. But Kurapika should be the most rational out of us, right? And... I'm a little nervous about him ever finding out that I used to a part of the Spiders, one of the ones that killed his people even! If that time ever comes, I can just deny it, right? But that would be lying to a friend.

Can I really deny it?

AH! This is too much! I'm not gonna think about it anymore!

"Well, since more than half of us are going to go to York Shin in September, why don't we make that our reunion?" Leorio suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Gon exclaimed happily.

"All right, then," Leorio said as he stuck out a hand in the center of the group, "September first at York Shin; see you guys later!"

"Yeah! Good luck to everyone!"

"We'll meet again!"

Kurapika's hand was warm under mine; I gave it a little squeeze, barely noticeable.

Please.

Don't let revenge kill you.

See you later.

Don't die before I do.

* * *

TBC.


	18. Celestial Tower X Chimes X Men

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Celestial Tower X Chimes X Men  
**

For the purpose of helping Gon get ready to face Hisoka, Killua suggested that we go train and earn money at a place called Celestial Tower. The name rings a bell, but I've never been to such a place. It was quite a good idea for me; I don't need the money, but I've been wanting to try out a new style of manipulation I came up with, thanks to Zeno. Before we arrived at Celestial Tower, I found a small local shop and bought something useful - chimes. It took a while for me to find it, but it's a crucial medium for my manipulation. I know that the idea is different, but the sound is very close to bells. I can't believe no one ever thought of it before; this way I won't look so weird as to jingle bells in my hands.

On the way to Celestial Tower, all I did was play around with the chimes, exerting little bits of Nen to blend with the sound waves. Gon did not notice, but Killua probably did, since he glanced my way a few times while I secretly trained. Although he's bratty most of the time, I gotta admit that Killua was still more aware of other people's strengths than Gon.

"Pretend that this is the distance between Hisoka and Hanzo's powers," Killua said as he drew two dots a feet away from each other. "You, would be about over here!" Killua walked about ten feet away and drew another dot; Gon looked at the distance and laughed dryly.

"What about you, Killua?" Gon asked. "Where would you be?"

"Me?" Killua pondered a little. "I guess I would be here."

"So you're weaker than Hanzo?"

"Yeah, I'm so modest."

"Then, where would Ginger-nee be?"

My ears perked up at the mention of my name. I watched Killua frown and narrow his eyes at me, and I sneered. The kid knew that I was stronger than him, but he couldn't admit it.

Killua cleared his throat, and drew a dot somewhere in between Hisoka and Hanzo's dots. "I guess she would be here."

"What?" I raised my eyebrow at his judgment. "Excuse me, but I think I shouldn't be that far away from Hisoka!"

"Maybe, but your stupidity should put you below somewhere close to Gon!"

"Why you little brat!"

"Ahhh! All right, all right! Ginger-nee and Killua, don't fight!"

* * *

The Celestial Tower was definitely the place for anyone, and I mean _anyone,_ who wanted to fight. There was a huge line of fighters outside of the main doors. And let's face it, the three of us were probably the strongest amongst this bunch. Before we started, Killua told Gon to just give his opponent a push. Gon did just that, and his opponent flew across the room and crashed into the wall. Killua did just about the same with knocking his opponent out by striking the back of their necks. The two of them were gonna go up to the 50th floor.

Finally, it was my turn. In front of me stood a giant man. And not the muscular kind of giant, but more like Milluki kind of giant.

"Hahahaha! Who let a little girl like you come to this place? How 'bout you forfeit and I'll treat you to a nice little dinner?" the fat man's eyes traveled up and down my body, and I was instantly disgusted. An overused line and the perfect voice to match it; I can easily take this guy out the same way Gon and Killua did to their opponents. But I was too excited to try out my new manipulation to wait.

I took out my chimes; I played with it so much on the way here that I can now successfully materialize it. This way I can make it small enough for battle.

"Oi, little girl! Playing a little music isn't going to please me, you know!"

I disregarded the guy's comment, and struck the chimes with a small mallet. The smile on his face was instantly wiped off; and his eyes became unfocused. His arms fell to his sides, and as I played the chimes a more, the guy lifted his legs and walked off the stage The referee gawked at the scene in silence, and quickly announced my victory after one look from me.

"The winner is #2056!"

My heart jumped in joy. I did it! I can even manipulate him without speaking! Although my opponent was very weak, but at least I know that my manipulation can function correctly! Wow, I haven't felt so excited in years!

"#2056," the referee walked toward me and spoke in the low tone, "You're a Nen user, right?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Then proceed to the 200th floor," he said, typing some things into a transmitter and giving me a slip of paper.

200th floor? If he specifically asked me whether or not I was a Nen user, that should mean that only Nen users could step foot into the 200th floor. That means there will be people with my level in the 200th floor! But that means I'd have to leave Gon and Killua at the 50th floor. Oh, but I really want to go up there! Those two can take care of themselves, right? Besides, we'll be in the same place, so it's not like we're far apart, right?

Gon and Killua approached me after I got off the stage.

"Ginger-nee, what did you do?" Gon asked excitedly, while Killua glared at me again in suspicion. "It looks like you hypnotized him!"

"Well, let's just say that I did hypnotize him!" I smiled. "Gon, is it all right if I go on ahead to the 200th floor first?"

"200th floor?" Gon and Killua exclaimed.

"Yeah, I want to test out my strength," I said. "It's been a while since I've fought seriously." The last time that I've fought seriously was the time with Hisoka.

"Ginger-nee, you are so strong!" Gon said with fire in his eyes. "I'm going to catch up to you at the 200th floor quickly!"

I smiled approvingly. "I'll be waiting for you."

"200th floor," Killua was still glaring at me, "Che! It took me 2 years to get there the last time I was here..."

That's because you were only a child, and you couldn't have gotten through without knowing Nen. Speaking of which, Gon and Killua need to learn Nen before reaching the 200th floor. Is it the right time for them to learn Nen right now? Well, I was already learning Nen around their age, but I had no clue what I was doing. Kuroro and Shalnark guided me all the way through. If I remember correctly, I was so hard to teach that Kuroro just forced my "shouko" open or whatever. It's hard to explain, but basically it was a dangerous way of cheating, and I apparently didn't die from it. Well, I wouldn't mind teaching them, but I don't know if I'll be a good teacher.

"Gon, Killua, if you guys run into any troubles, let me know, all right?" I leaned over a little to look them in the eyes. I'll worry about teaching them Nen or not when the time comes.

"Hmph! As if we'll run into anything!" Killua rolled his eyes at me.

I flicked him in the forehead. "You'll run into a wall and you won't even know it! I'll come watch your fights, so take care of yourselves while I'm away!" I walked away coolly from the two kids. I could hear some mumbling from Killua from the back and Gon shushing him, but none of that matters. I was in a good mood right now. It felt kind of nice being the one with superiority once in a while.

* * *

The 200th floor was definitely a different level than everything that I've seen so far. You could tell that everyone on this floor was a Nen user; I could tell by walking by all the rooms that fighters stayed in. When I first got to the 200th floor and signed in, I couldn't help up but ask for the earliest time that I could fight. Luckily, there was someone there in the lobby that wanted to fight as well, so I scheduled a fight with him tomorrow morning. His name was Pobbi, I believe. He was a young boy, just a teen, but his aura was well-built. Although I don't believe that I'd lose to him; all those years with the Ryodan I've met many stronger people. Anyhow, I'm still excited to try out my new style with a Nen user.

Another thing that I was excited about was the room that I'm heading toward. I heard that fighters in the 200th floor get to stay in very luxurious rooms, and I haven't slept on a real bed since...well, since I left Whale Island with Gon. I was ready for a good night's sleep and fight to the fullest tomorrow, until...

"Nnhn~"

That was what greeted me when I opened the door to my room. I was stupefied for a moment, and I slammed the door shut.

"What's with that reaction, little kitten? I've been waiting for you~"

From behind? I swirled around just to have the man's finger poke into my cheek. And there he was, standing before me again with that sinister smile, as if telling me, "you haven't seen the last of me yet!" I knew that we were here to train Gon to fight Hisoka, but I didn't think that I'd meet him so soon! And at this kind of place, too! More importantly, how did he get into my room?

"How did you get into my room?" I asked him just that, while wiping the part of my cheek that he'd just poked.

"Oh, how rude~" Hisoka snickered and pushed me back into the room. "Nothing a little money can't do~"

I glared at him and swatted his hand away from my back. "I'm surprised that they didn't kick a stalker like you out of this place!"

"That's where you don't understand, little kitten~ I've been here many times already, and not only am I a floor master," Hisoka winked, "I'm also quite popular here~"

I've lost all my respect for this place.

"Well?" I grunted at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Nnhn~ little kitten, you're so cold~" Hisoka made a fake saddened face. "I waited here for so long~ you should at least invite me to dinner~"

"Leave."

"No~"

"Leave!"

I yelled and tried to push him out of the room. However, what happened was the exact opposite. All I saw was a flash of pink in front of my eyes, and I felt my body being lifted off the ground with high speed. The next thing I knew, I was tied to my own bed with something I haven't seen, and I still don't want to see, for a very long time-Hisoka's Bungee Gum! I tried to wiggle out of it, but I knew it was hopeless.

"Hisoka! How did you..."

"You're always so careless, little kitten~" said Hisoka as he walked up to my bed, "You see, I already stuck the Bungee Gum to your cheek when I poked you earlier~ It's your own fault for not noticing~"

The bastard! How did I not notice?

Seeing my speechless face, Hisoka only smirked before heading over to the next room, swinging his hips all the while. A minute later, he was back.

"I've called for room service~ wait here nicely while I take a shower, little kitten~"

Hisoka snickered at me again before he went into my bathroom. Che, 'wait nicely'? I can't even move! That aside, why is he taking a shower? I tried to suppress my anger and frustration as I laid on the bed, but the sound of running water only made me more irritated.

A few minutes later, there was some knocking on the door. It must be the room service. I looked toward the bathroom door; Hisoka was still showering. Then I looked down at myself and realized that Hisoka had already stopped his Bungee Gum. Great! Now is my chance to escape! I jumped off the bed and darted for the door, and when I opened it there was a lady with a pushing cart with a tray of food. She smiled at me and

I looked down at the food. Bottle of champagne and smells like seafood; damn, does he know my stomach too? With the smell, my stomach made a little growl. Curse seafood!

As my stomach growled I saw the lady just about to giggle, but she stopped short, looking past me. Suddenly, I felt something warm and wet behind me, like steam. I looked at the lady's face and she was blushing madly, and I looked back and my eyes almost fell out of their sockets.

Hisoka was leaning against the door frame with only a towel on!

"You can just leave that there~" Hisoka said smoothly. "You can go now~"

"Ah... yes!" The lady responded a few seconds later, leaving quickly after looking at me with an envious expression.

I narrowed my eyes. Why the hell did she look at me like that? I'd give anything to switch places with you, I'll let you know that!

"Come~ let's eat before it gets cold~"

I let out a big sigh. There's no way I can escape from this! I turned around as Hisoka pushed the cart into the room. And I saw it. There it was on this back-the Spider tattoo with the number 4. The exact same one that I have on my back, still to this day. I knew it. He's showing it to me on purpose!

"Put some clothes on, Hisoka."

"Hm~? Is this too much for you to take~?"

"Shut up and put your clothes on! Your towel is loosening!"

* * *

I knew my luck wasn't so great. My night of rest was completely ruined by that stupid clown-man! The bastard didn't leave until morning, telling me about how he came here looking for Gon and Killua, and how he's going to wait for them to learn Nen. He basically admitted that he wasn't really waiting for me, but he was actually waiting for the kids. What a damn pervert! Anyway, I was in a bad mood.

Now I stood at the side of the arena that my battle was going to take place. In front of me was my opponent, Pobbi, who casually polished his sword. When I walked onto the stage, he looked at me briefly and gave me a big warm smile. Hmph! You see, real men should be like that! Manners, gentle, and clear skin! NOT dangling a flimsy towel on your hips! Really, this Pobbi is like an eye-drop after dealing with Hisoka last night! I returned the smile at the boy; who knows how weird my smile looks considering how damaged my brain is right now! But look! The boy blushed!

"It's your first fight on the 200th floor, isn't it, milady?" Pobbi said suavely. "Shall we take it easy for this match?"

I raised my eyebrow. "No, I think you'd better give me all you got."

Pobbi seemed a little taken back, but he put on a smile again very quickly. "Well then, please forgive me if I hurt you."

Forget what I said before. This guy is whack too.

But right when the referee yelled 'start', the guy flew at me with very fast speed. Not flew, he probably just leaped. I quickly backed away; there's no way he could match up to my speed.

"What?" I felt a sting on my arm suddenly. There was a small cut on my arm; I swear I dodged that attack! I looked back at Pobbi closely and the guy smirked at me. Concentrating Nen to my eyes, I saw the layer of Nen around the edges of Pobbi's sword. He probably shot out a wave of sharp Nen when he swung his sword at me, making the attack range longer. "Che, cheap trick!"

"Don't talk like ruffian, girlie!" Pobbi taunted. "I'm coming again! This time faster!"

"Did you think that was my fastest?" I growled at him. The kid didn't realize that I was already behind him, and he looked back in shock. I could've started manipulation on him right then, but I wanted to hit him for calling me a ruffian. So I struck him on his collar with my elbow, and he fell to the ground. Before he could get up from his position, I started to play the chimes.

"Wha...what?" Pobbi was stuck to the floor. "I can't move my legs!"

You can't move your legs? Well, for a normal person they shouldn't be able to move their whole body, so your strength is commendable. Or...I still need more training.

The boy smirked at me nonetheless. "Hmph! Even without my legs I can still beat you!"

Nen was extended again from his blade, but without his legs he could not possibly turn as fast as I can dodge. I came up to him from behind and kicked the sword out of his hands. The boy looked terrified, and I almost hesitated. It's been such a long time since I've seen a person look at me like that. And to think about it, people like him used to look at me in fear. And I never felt anything bad about it.

Suddenly, I was knocked off my feet. That moment of hesitation brought my guard down, and my manipulation weakened. Pobbi took the chance and swept my feet with his now freed leg.

At that moment, I don't know what happened, but I was infuriated.

I played the chimes furiously; Pobbi ran for his sword with top speed. Or, at least it seemed like he did.

The whole audience gasped in awe as they saw Pobbi pick up his swords, but pointed at himself. I wasn't going to kill him, though. That'll be too soft on him! His eyes showed nothing but confusion and useless resistance. As I played the chimes, he slowly moved his swords toward his ankle.

"You think you're fast, don't ya?" I heard myself say, "Well, let's see how fast your nerves recover...if they ever will!"

He couldn't have hesitated, because it was I that really held the sword. The blade cut deeply into his ankle; blood splashed out like glacier, and his loud scream filled my ears. I didn't hesitate to cut his other ankle. All the way until the nerves were all apart. Pobbi's body fell limp to the floor as I stopped my manipulation, but he was already too painful too speak.

I knelt down next to him and whispered, "I'm sorry. I know a swordsman far stronger than you."

And that was the end of the match. I turned away and did not look at Pobbi for a second time. On my way out I noticed a pair of eyes on me; it was Hisoka in the audience. I looked toward his direction and found his gaze. He covered his mouth with his playing card, but I knew he was very pleased with me. But somehow I felt very weird about this. I felt unlike myself when I was fighting out there, but it also kinda felt like myself. I don't know how to explain it.

I went into the lobby and bought myself a cold drink. Gon and Killua have matches later today. I'll just go and forget about everything that just happened.

"Excuse me, miss!"

I turned around to the voice calling me from behind. There stood a an older man with long hair and a kind smile on his face. I felt kind of disgusted; why do all the men I meet today smile like this?

"That was a great match. Your manipulation is amazing!" he said.

"...Thanks," I replied simply and tossed my empty can in the trash can.

He grabbed my hand before I could leave, and turned it into a handshake. "My name is Kastro."

I raised an eyebrow. "Um... Ginger..."

"Pretty name," even his eyes were smiling. "I haven't met many people who could manipulate with sound as a medium. But I do know that certain music can make manipulation smoother, and sound nicer as well."

True. I've been playing the chimes to my random coordination, a lot of people were probably bleeding in their ears.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it."

"I know a bit about chimes," he said quickly, as if he's been waiting to say this, "I can teach you a piece that I heard was very powerful!"

I looked at him suspiciously. Should I trust him?

"Sure."

I have nothing to lose.

* * *

TBC.


	19. Lessons X Wing X Irritation

**Trouble is a Friend **

**Lessons X Wing X Irritation**

After getting acquainted with Kastro, my stay at Celestial Tower turned into a sort of routine. Everyday I went to Kastro's place, and he would teach me the basics of how to play the chimes. Other times I would go down to see Gon and Killua's matches. Those two kids were doing great, and they're moving up the floors really quickly. Although Killua did have a little trouble with another kid. Zushi was his name; the two munchkins told me. I saw that match as well. There's no wonder Killua would have trouble with Zushi; the kid was a Nen user! Although, not fully learned yet, but I could see the steady flow of aura around him. The boy has a good teacher!

"Ginger-san, what are you thinking?"

"What?" I looked up at Kastro, who was sitting in front of me with the same old smile.

"You're zoning out."

"I'm not zoning out!"

"You've been playing the same line over and over," he pointed at the music sheet. "And you're playing it wrong, too."

I rolled my eyes at him. Never trust guys who smile like that. Why am I learning chimes from him, then? I don't know. I guess I don't sense anything negative from his aura. I even sense a little naivete, to be honest. I don't know if he wanted something from me, but if he meant any harm he couldn't hurt me, anyway. He was stronger than many fighters here, but I knew I could fight him and win.

"Ginger-san," he addressed me half-seriously when I was about to head home for the day, "why is it that you have such a strong Nen, but your manipulation skills are still very... rusty?"

What's it to you?

"It's a new style I'm trying to take on," I explained honestly. "Before, I used to fight with these."

I materialized the hairsticks with bells in the palm of my hands and showed him. Kastro took it over and examined it carefully.

"You're saying that if you had fought with this, you would've been stronger?"

"Right now, yes. But once I perfect the use of chimes, I'll be a lot stronger than before."

Kastro nodded, understanding my point. He then smiled at me again, this time a little differently. "Ginger-san, isn't there something you want to ask me?"

I wonder why men around me never talk straight to the point.

"No."

"Well then," he retrieved back into his room. "I'll see you again tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Good night, Ginger-san."

"Yeah."

Actually, I had things that I wanted to ask him, but I didn't. I felt a little angry because he knew that I wanted to ask him something. And he probably knew what I wanted to ask, too. It's strange but these men around seem to always see right through me, like they know what I'm thinking, but they won't tell me. It's like they're playing with my mind. And I don't like that feeling. Am I that easy of a person to figure out? I hope not, because that would be a scary thought.

* * *

Later that day I had another match, which I won pretty much the same way I fought Pobbi, and then headed off to meet with Gon and Killua. The two of them suddenly called me, and told me that they were coming up to the 200th floor. Honestly I didn't think that they would make it up here so quickly! I'm sure from the last time I saw them, they have not learned even the basics of Nen. At this rate, they won't be able to stand the pressure of the Nen users here, and they'll never be able to register for matches here!

I arrived at the lobby where the elevator was, and I saw the person I hated seeing at any time—Hisoka—standing there. And then I heard Gon and Killua's voices. They were already talking. Dang, how did he know that they were coming up today?

I saw Hisoka raise his hand. "As an elder, I'm going to teach you something. It's still too early for you to walk on the grounds of this floor!"

Hisoka let out a wave of strong aura. That jerk; he's definitely bullying them! I quickly approached them.

"Come back another time~ But now, it's too soon~"

"Are you kidding?" Killua's hysteric voice came from the other side. "We've only just made it here!"

Hisoka raised his hand to let out more aura, but I got there quickly enough to swat his hand down. Hisoka looked down at me unsurprised, as if knowing that I was coming.

"Ginger-nee!" Gon exclaimed as he saw me.

"Gon! Killua! Retrieve!" I said to them. "With you guys' strength right now, you won't be able to fight in these battles even if you register!"

"I knew it!" Killua fired at me, "You do have the same power as Hisoka and my brother! Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

That made me take a small step back. Why didn't I? "I'm sorry. I didn't think that you guys would get here so quickly." That's not true. I knew that Gon and Killua were stronger than everybody in the lower floors. But I was so engrossed with training myself that I'd forgotten about Gon and Killua's progress.

"Yes, we made it here now! And we're going to stay here no matter what!"

"Killua, listen to me!"

"She's right. Don't insist."

All heads turned to the man who now stood behind Gon and Killua. A man with a messy attire, an ordinary face and a pair of thick glasses, a Nen user. When he laid his eyes on me, he sent me a slight frown. And I returned the same frown. Who is this guy?

_Leave teaching them Nen to me. I will make sure that they register by today._ His eyes told me. I hesitated for a moment, but I realized that the man's aura didn't seem to mean any harm. And watching the way that he interacted with Gon and Killua, it didn't seem like he was a complete stranger. So I nodded, entrusting the kids to him.

I followed Gon and Killua as they went with the man, who earlier introduced himself as Wing, to his apartment. It turned out that he was Zushi's teacher as well. That made me quite relieved. That kid's Nen was pretty steady, so he should be a good teacher. The only thing that I'm worried about is whether or not they could make it before midnight. Wing is probably going to force their shouko's open, like Kuroro did to me. But that would be very risky; if it weren't for the fact that I lived in Meteor Street and became strong, I would've died.

After getting to Wing's apartment, he began to explain what Nen really was.

"Nen is a secret force hidden in the body, but even though everyone has it, not many people can actually master it," Wing explained patiently, unlike my constant glances at the clock. "There are two ways to awaken the force: by taking our time, or by provoking it. With Zushi, we're taking our time. But with you two, we don't have much time at all. You have to be able to use Ten to protect yourselves from Hisoka's Nen by midnight."

"Then we have to provoke it!" Gon urged. "How long would that take?"

"It depends on you," Wing said, not surprised at all by Gon's reply. "Will you guys be able to keep your aura in your body? How long will it take for you guys to master it? But we don't have much time to consider that." Wing raised his hands firmly in front of them. "I'm going to send you my aura, and force your shouko's open. When I do so, you have to try to keep your aura in your body. It's important that you can do that much, and I'll teach you more deeply about Nen after today."

"I have a question," Killua cut in. "Why have you decided to teach us Nen now?"

Wing smiled slightly. "I thought you guys needed it. Arriving at the 200th floor without knowing Nen, that would only result in a brutal baptism by other Nen users on that floor." Wing glanced at me briefly again. "And I don't think that you kids are so bad to use Nen for evil purposes."

I wiped the sweat forming in my palms. It's not that I don't trust this man, but I'm still a bit worried. Even if I was familiar with the procedure, I can't help them even if I wanted to. It all depends on their own strength.

Gon and Killua got changed into T-shirts, and Wing ordered them to turn their backs to him. Wing put his hands on each of their backs and sent his aura going in one shot. It was like popping a water balloon with a needle; waves of great aura poured out from Gon and Killua's bodies. It was amazing; I've never seen such amounts of aura coming from mere twelve-year-olds before!

Wing gave them instructions to keep their auras in their bodies, and they did it right away. By the look on Wing's face, I could tell that he was just as amazed as me. I breathed in and out. The flow of their auras is perfectly smooth and thick. The crazy part is that I can feel the hidden force behind just the appearance of their aura, that it's thumping and waiting to be released. And when it is released, who knows what kind of beasts they would become?

* * *

The time was a quarter past eleven. Gon and Killua made it not just in time, but with time to spare as well. The two of them headed off to the 200th right away. As for me…

"Ginger-san, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I looked back at Wing who stared at me sternly. Yes, we've never officially talked before. I'm sure he has some questions to ask me. Wing motioned me to sit down on the sofa, and he sat across from me on a stool.

"I'm just going to ask you bluntly," Wing said. "What is your intention for staying so close to Gon and Killua?"

I raised an eyebrow at his strange question. "I don't know what you're trying to get at, but I'm here to make sure nothing harms Gon and Killua."

Wing stared into my eyes silently for a long time. I didn't like the way that he asked me the question. Obviously I've been with Gon and Killua longer than him, so I should be the one asking him that question! And here he is talking to me as if I was the suspicious one!

"It doesn't look like you're lying," Wing finally said. "I was honestly surprised that kids like them, especially Gon, would associate themselves with a person like you."

"What do you mean 'a person like me'?" I asked hotly, getting angry by Wing's words.

"Your scent is completely filled with blood."

My eyes opened wide. I opened my mouth to speak no words.

"What?"

"I was so surprised that I went to see one of your matches," Wing continued, "and then I wondered, maybe it's Killua. But even with Killua, he still has a great deal of naiveté. So I don't understand how a brutal person such as you could be so close with Gon and Killua."

I couldn't respond to him, because I knew it was true.

First match with Pobbi—I handicapped him by cutting his nerves. Second match, I gauged out my opponent's eyes. Third match, I sliced off my opponent's ears. Fourth match, I cut his abdomen open.

I couldn't say anything, because I felt like I was different when I'm fighting here. Each time I would get irritated when my opponent daunted me. Each time I would feel like if he wasn't stronger than me, he shouldn't boast about his speed or sight or strength or anything. But each time was a training. It was to become strong and… and then what?

Seeing that I wasn't going to respond, Wing continued, "Let me just say this frankly. I don't think your presence is a good influence on Killua."

"I'm not a killer!" I exclaimed, not knowing why I was so worked up.

Wing's eyes widened at my statement. He adjusted his glasses with his fingers and continued. "You should know the difference between you and the kids yourself. Killua is different from Gon, but he is also very similar to Gon in a way. But you, you are already too different from them. When you're fighting I could see your thirst for power, and it's not the same as Gon and Killua."

Me? I thirst for power? Is that what I wanted? What did I want? I wanted to be with Gon, and return to Whale Island with him. I wanted to become stronger, and…

"Forgive me for saying this, but please stay further away from Killua."

* * *

_And there are those of us who's always lived in the dark, and the blinding light from the outside didn't welcome us. So we roam forever in the dark, and sometimes we are okay with it__._

It seems like it was me that said something like that. And now I'm the one that's getting carried away?

_"People don't change. Killua will soon realize the difference between himself and Gon," _I remember Silva saying_, "You're no exception. You have the same scent as someone troublesome I've had to deal with before. Killua will also feel threatened by you one day, and he will kill you. That's the blood of an assasin."_

I'm a bad influence for Killua? No. No way. Who are you trying to fool? I decided to change for the better, and now you tell me that I'm doing the wrong thing? You must be kidding me.

It's true that the way that I've fought my battles brutally here, but that was only because I got too excited about using my new weapon. It's not that I have a bloodthirsty nature. No, never. Even with the Ryodan I was never like that. So it's really for this moment, I got carried away. Right?

Wing, I'll prove to you that I'm not the person that you think I am. In my next match, I'll show you that I'm perfectly fine being with Gon and Killua.

* * *

That night I did not go check out how Gon and Killua were doing. Instead, I only got a call from Gon saying that he already has a match tomorrow in the day. He told me that Hisoka agreed to fight with him if he can be victorious in at least one match in the 200th floor. Hisoka, that big bastard. He's the one that's the bad influence!

I tried to put everything behind my head, but I had no such luck. That night, I went to sleep with an unsettled heart.

Just kidding. I couldn't go to sleep at all! I tried my best to fall asleep, but in the end I just gave up. I got up and sat around, walked around, and did nothing for the rest of the time until morning, where I went to Kastro's place to learn chimes again. Of course, I wasn't paying much attention to Kastro's teaching. But you couldn't blame me, right?

"What's wrong, Ginger-san? You don't seem to be in a good mood."

I glanced at Kastro's insincere worried face. "Kastro, I've always wanted to ask you, why are you teaching me the chimes and a song like this when we're total strangers?"

"I knew you were going to ask me this sooner or later," Kastro immediately whipped up a smile. "The song that I'm teaching you is called 'Dancing with Death'. I heard that it's a very powerful piece, but I've never seen it do its work. Normal people would not be able to play it, but I thought such a strong Nen user like you could probably play it."

What a liar. That was definitely not the whole truth.

"We're just about done with this piece. All you have to do is synchronize your Nen as you play it," Kastro continued cheerfully. "I hope to see you play this in your next match."

I looked away. I really didn't like his smile. "Whatever you want."

"Ginger-san, you're so cold," said Kastro, although he didn't sound hurt at all. "Say, won't you come see my match with Hisoka a couple of days later?"

"You're fighting Hisoka?"

"Yes. I was beaten by him two years ago, but I'm different now. I've been reborn and I'm going to let him taste revenge!"

You? Beat Hisoka? I bet you can't even beat me if we fought, and you want to beat Hisoka?

"If Hisoka lost to you, I might as well kill myself."

Kastro laughed. "Ginger-san, you never cease to interest me."

I glanced at quickly and stood up, making my way toward the door.

"Ginger-san."

Kastro, who was behind me a second ago, was now in front of me, blocking my way out the door. I looked up at his smiling face, feeling quite annoyed by the never-changing look.

"Can I see your old weapon again?"

"The bells?" I laid the hairstick flat in my hand. Kastro took it from it, played around with it a little in front of me. Then he looked at me again with a bright smile. But unlike Gon's innocent smile, it's much deeper than that.

"May I keep it?"

"Keep it?" I was definitely surprised by his request. "Um… sure. But it's quite useless to you, isn't it?"

"No. I think that if I have this, then I'll surely beat Hisoka."

I wanted to laugh right then. Should I call him naïve or stupid? If people could become stronger with just a small thing like that, then should I have kept a piece of Kuroro's hair with me all this time? That was what I thought at that moment. And I didn't realize that I had with me, a small piece of something from each of the Spiders right there in my phone. And it had me chained, even if I wanted to forget them, it pulled me even stronger.

But I didn't realize. Until it was too late.

* * *

TBC.

* * *

A/N: Hi y'all! I just wanted to tell you guys that I'm flying to Japan in a couple of days and that I'm not exactly sure if I'll have wireless internet at the place where I'm staying. I really do hope so. But I'll find some way to keep updating this story. I apologize in advance if updates become slow.


	20. Twisted Memories X Blood Bath X Goodbye

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Twisted Memories X Blood Bath X Good-bye**

"Jin! You heartless bastard!"

"Hey, calm down, Mito! Listen to my explanation!"

Family drama - that was what I came face to face with when I first arrived at Whale Island. "Mito is a sweet woman; she'll never treat you badly," Jin told me daily. 'Sweet', maybe, after I spend more time with her to find out. But for now, the volume of her screaming wasn't exactly soothing to my ears.

"Explain to me then!" Mito looked as if she was using her whole body's strength to calm herself down. If Jin doesn't choose his words correctly, I would be eating Jin meat for dinner tonight. "You leave your wife and child here, and you dare bring back a new lover?"

New lover? Oh no, do I look like a girl with no taste in men whatsoever? Besides, the only thing that would interest Jin enough to become his 'new lover' would be those big, ugly creatures out in the wild. And the bigger, uglier the better. God knows how many times I've been attacked and almost eaten by those things, while Jin had so much fun 'pursuing' them.

"Mito, you misunderstood!" Jin said as if Mito was crazy, even though it was his own fault for suddenly bringing a girl home in the middle of the night. But you should consider my feeling, you know? "I found this girl when she was attacked by a beast in the mountain. She was almost dead."

Jin didn't have to lie for me. But Mito's eyes began to soften up and she looked at me with sympathy.

"She doesn't have a place to go to, so I thought that I should bring her here," Jin said with more relief, seeing as Mito began to look at me as 'helpless'.

"You poor thing," Mito said to me kindly, wiping some dirt off my face (although they were actually the product of traveling with Jin this whole time). "Don't worry! You can stay here with us! I'm sure my mother and Gon will both like you!"

"It's fine. I don't want to be a bother."

"Don't say that! Accepting someone's help is also a part of good manners!" Mito said firmly with two hands on her hips. "I insist that you stay here! I was taught to never turn a blind ye to people who need help!"

I didnt really need help, though.

However, I accepted Mito's offer. Partly because I know that she wouldn't let me go even if I keep declining her offer. But I also knew that she was a good woman.

"And where do you think you're going?" Mito suddenly turned to Jin, who tried to sneak away as we were talking. "Aren't you going to see your son, at least?"

Jin turned around, smiling coolly. "If Gon wants to see me, he'll have to find me himself!"

I saw veins pop out from Mito's forehead. I don't blame her; that really wasn't a cool thing to say. But since even Mito let him go without saying any more, I kept quiet as well. Then, Mito turned to me with a warm smile.

"All right, shall we go inside?"

'We'... I didn't think that I would hear that word again.

Sweet, I guess Mito was a sweet woman after all. She gave me a nice bed, some clothes, and some food. I've never had this kind of experience before. Even with the Ryodan, we fought for everything ourselves. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first with all these services, and being treated so kindly.

"Mito-san?" a young boy's voice took our attensions? I turned to see a small boy, with eyes so clear that they can be compared to the sky.

"Ah, Gon!" Mito responded. "Did we wake you up?"

Gon shook his head, but kept his gaze on me. "Mito-san, who is she?"

"Her name is Ginger. She's going to stay with us from now on!"

Hearing that, Gon's eyes brightened up. "Really?"

Mito looked toward me. I hesitated, but I nodded at Gon, who beamed at me and ran to the front of me.

"My name is Gon Freecs!"

"Oh," I shook his hand. "I'm Ginger."

Gon didn't let go of my hand after the handshake, but pulled me toward the door. "Ginger-nee! Let's go explore in the forest!"

"Gon! Not now!" Mito yelled. "Look at how late it is! And you're supposed to be in bed!"

"Just for a little bit, Mito-san!" Gon pulled me out the door, despite Mito's yelling.

What greeted me was not the greenery that I was supposed to face. Instead, it was mountains and mountains of waste and garbage, which I haven't seen for years. I moved my fingers; Gon's hand was not holding mine. Gon was not there. I looked beyond - a man dressed in black, a man that I cannot mistaken from anywhere. A smile on his face, and a hand reaching out to me.

"Welcome home, Shoga."

* * *

I shot up from my bed as my dream ended. Now I've really lost it. I never really dream when I'm sleeping, and now I dream of something ridiculous like this? But then… it's not like that was a nightmare or anything. Dreams aren't supposed to make sense, anyway.

I looked toward the clock—2:00 P.M. One hour before my match. I threw my dream to the back of my head; after this last match, I'm not fighting anymore in this bloody place!

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to another long-awaited match! Today we have the Human Tank—Zanetti—versus the Chimes Hypnotist—Ginger!"

As the announcer's voice fades in the background, the audience roared with their cheerings. Geez, don't these people have better things to do? And look what kind of stupid title they gave me! Anyway, my opponent was the biggest guy I've ever seen. And considering the guys I've seen, that's actually saying something. However, big and all, he wasn't much of a match for me. And there he was, laughing at how small I was.

_Ah… so irritating…_

_I'm not just anybody, you know?_

_That's right… you have no idea who I am… I am…_

_A spider._

A cannon-like object protruded out from Zanetti's stomach. For a moment he looked as if he was going to vomit. And then, a Nen cannon ball fired out at me. I didn't have to move at all.

_Too slow. Too inconvenient._

I caught the cannon ball in my hands, and broke it into pieces.

"Maybe you should try just bullets next time!"

Chimes appeared in my hands. The familiar dark symphony began to play, except this time along with the power of Nen. And suddenly, I felt my body stiffen. My nen was being drained very quickly, but I couldn't stop playing.

"What is this sound? I don't want to hear it!"

I heard Zanetti's voice shout at me, however, he was only screaming. He wore a terrified expression on his face. Then I saw his hands reach up to his ears and started to scratch and pull.

_No… stop!_

Blood poured from the two sides of his head. His left ear was visibly hanging off the side of his face.

"I can't breathe… my windpipe...is stuck…"

I heared Zanetti's voice again, but when I look, he was clearly still breathing.

_No… don't do that…_

I saw Zanetti's hands reach toward his throat this time, and once again… scratching, cutting. Blood was dripping down to his elbows. My heart pounded; my body was being controlled by the music, and I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. Zanetti screamed again; this time he waved his hands in front of him as if to swat away something.

"Don't come near me! Stop! Get away from me!"

What was he seeing? _Don't look… Just don't look!_

Zanetti listened to me obediently. With his large hands he easily gauged out his own eyes. He screamed, the audience screamed. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't.

_What should I do? Someone stop me._

My vision was blurring in front of me. The next thing I saw was Zanetti's big, bloody hands reaching at me, circling around my neck and pressing hard on my throat. It's hard to breathe; I should be prying his hands away, but my fingers stayed with the chimes.

Suddenly, Zanetti let me go. I didn't know what was going on. My energy was pretty much drained. The last thing I saw was a large wave of aura pouring from Zanetti's stomach. And then, everything went black.

* * *

What happened after that match was a mystery to me. All I felt was a pair of arms pick me up from the floor, and I was unconcious ever since. I wasn't really unconscious though; I knew that I was unconscious. But I was too tired to feel anything. All I knew was that my muscles hurt so much that they were numb, and all I could hear was the mix of screaming and ticking of the clock.

I don't know how long I've been laying asleep, but it didn't feel like a long time at all. Until one day, I've finally gathered up enough energy to open up my eyelids.

"Oh, you're finally awake."

A familiar, cocky voice greeted me. There was a moment of blindness when I first opened my eyes. But I knew exactly who it was without even looking.

"Killua…" I muttered almost inaudibly. Judging by my surroundings, I was sent back to my room after that match. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"About a month," Killua answered bluntly.

My eyes bulged out. _A month?_ No wonder my throat felt like a desert when I talked. But if felt like only a few hours in my sleep.

"Aren't you going to offer me a cup of water?" I asked him with a hoarse voice.

"Hmph!" Killua reluctantly gave me a can of iced cocoa from his pocket.

"…Thanks."

I cringed at the sweetness of the cocoa, but it was better than nothing. The room fell into silence quickly. All you could hear was my sipping through the straw.

_I wonder where Gon is…_

"So… that was quite a match you had."

I choked.

"You… you saw?"

Killua rolled his eyes. "Of course I did. Are you stupid?"

A wave of anxiety overcame me; I didn't even hear the second part of what Killua was saying. All my worries must've been written all over my face. Killua sighed as he watched my expressions change.

"Don't worry, Gon wasn't there."

"Eh?" I lifted my head.

"A lot has happened…" Killua explained. "Before your match, Gon also had his first match on the 200th floor, you know right? Well, you weren't there, but he lost. And he lost pretty badly; physically worse than you."

"No!" I sat up abruptly. "Where is…"

"He's fine now!" Killua stopped me as soon as I sat up. "He recovers like a monster, unlike you! I've never seen someone kill an opponent like that, and without any injuries, fall unconscious for so long!"

I looked down, feeling extremely guilty. "Killua… do you think that I…"

"Stop! Stop! Don't give me that look! It feels too weird!" Killua stopped me again, looking irritated. "I know, I know! I can tell from the look in your eyes. A killer wouldn't look so scared while killing someone."

"Killua…" I looked at him with surprise. He knew how I was feeling. I did feel scared when I couldn't stop myself from killing Zanetti. But how about before? When I was with the Ryodan, I killed people without feeling anything. When you or Gon find out about that, what would you guys think?

"Remember, Gon accepted someone like me as well," seeing that I was still down, Killua added.

I bit my lips, and then nodded.

_But you're different from me, Killua. _

"Hmph!" Killua looked away, obviously not used to seeing me like this. "Stupid woman."

_Yeah… why was I being scolded by this brat? And to think that during the Hunters Exam, he was scared of me!_

"Ok then, what else are you gonna tell me?" I asked, in the normal way that I talked with Killua.

Killua raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was going to see this with Gon, but Wing didn't let him." He took out two tickets from his pocket. "The match between Hisoka and Kastro, do you want to see it?"

My eye twitched as I thought of Kastro's smiling face. It was all that guy's fault that I'm here right now. "No, thanks. I don't want to see that guy's face for a while."

Killua raised his eyebrow once again. "I don't know what's between you and Hisoka, but if you don't be careful, what Hanzo said during the Hunters Exam is going to come true."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't know?" Killua said, holding back a smirk. "After you collapsed during that match, it was Hisoka that carried out—princess style."

_That detestable man!_

"Killua… I don't think I've completely calmed down yet. So…"

"All right, all right! I'll leave!" Killua laughed as he made his way toward the door. "Oh, and that song… don't play it again!"

"Yeah, you don't need to remind me."

* * *

Sometimes you can really call me crazy. Even though I was completely fine, I didn't want to leave my bed. I thought about going to visit Gon, but I couldn't think of what to say to him when I do see him. In the end, believe it or not, I went to find Hisoka. This must be the first time (and last, I hope) that I'll be the one taking initiative to find him. I wanted to ask him what he knew about my match with Zanetti. For some reason, I felt like he knew something.

And so, I let my feet take me to Hisoka's room. Hisoka has a match with Kastro today, but according to their strengths, Hisoka should win easily.

"Little kitten~"

I jumped a little when Hisoka suddenly appeared behind me. I turned around to see Hisoka's battle scars, although his wounds weren't very deep at all. And then my eyes traveled down to his forearms; there were unusual marks that circled them.

"He cut off your arms?" I remarked. "Don't tell me you lost…"

"No~" Hisoka smiled. "I toyed with him a bit, and then killed him~"

I sighed. "Hey… don't go killing people for fun, okay? I still had things to ask him too…"

"I couldn't help it~" Hisoka said, placing a hand on his chest jokingly. "He was bullying my little pet~"

I rolled my eyes, and changed the subject before this conversation became even weirder. "Well, you sure fixed yourself up rather quickly!"

"A blue-haired beauty was very skilled~"

I didn't get his hint back then.

We stood there outside of his room. Hisoka didn't seem like he was going to invite me in. To me, he was acting a little funny today, although I don't really know how. Anyway, I didn't want to know. I just want my information.

"You know something that I don't during my match."

"Don't I always?"

"Are you going to tell me then?" I asked hotly, already irritated.

"Nnhn~ that's not the way to ask for something, little kitten~" Hisoka chuckled a bit, but continued anyway. "The song that he taught you was said to be written by a Nen user so strong that peopled called him the Devil. Even when you don't activate Nen when you play it, you'll still be affected. And when you do use Nen with it, well, you already know what happens! Your opponent will see illusions, and he will be totured mentally and physically."

"And since I'm in the manipulation group, my thoughts all become injurious to him?"

"Yep~" Hisoka snapped his finger. "Although I was quite amazed at how strong you became~ Usually this song will be played all the way till the end even if it kills the musician~ But you still had enough energy to stay alive when the song ended~"

I didn't care much for the last part that Hisoka was talking about. I was more worried about what he said in the beginning. "You said that the player is affected too while playing the song… in what way do you mean?"

Hisoka's smile widened.

"The part of yourself that you least want to face~ will emerge right out~"

* * *

When someone slaps your right cheek, you offer them your left cheek as well. But if they slap both of your cheeks at the same time, and you can't slap them back, what the hell are you supposed to do? I guess my search for peace and happiness will never see an end. When I finally decided to leave everything behind, it comes back to remind me in the hard way. And then, I have to start hiding more things. Hide this, hide that. Hide things from people I care about; hide things from myself.

But the more I try to hide things, the clearer it appears in my mind. Behind my eyes, a pair of ash-gray eyes stared at me. Shoga—her arms embraced me. Her fingertips sent the pride of a Spider into my skin. And then I'm reminded of Kurapika's smiling face.

_I'm a mess._

"Ginger-nee! I finally did it! I'm going to have a match with Hisoka tomorrow!" Gon said to me excitedly.

I already knew; Hisoka already told me. Surprisingly, Hisoka was now the person that I felt comfortable with. No matter how much I try to hide, this man seems to know everything already. Even if he treats me like a toy, he doesn't really care about me as much as battling strong people.

But Gon was too bright for me. Being next to him makes it hard to breathe. I guess I'm still more used to the dark.

"Ginger-nee, you don't look so good…"

"I'm fine."

Sometimes I'm grateful that Gon is so simple-minded. Although, I'm sure that Killua already knows that I'm not actually fine. But he doesn't know why. He thinks that I'm still affected by the match with Zanetti, so he just left me alone. And I was okay with that.

And so I waited. After Gon finishes his fight with Hisoka, we'll be able to leave this place. I'll go back to Whale Island with Gon and Killua. I'll say good-bye to Mito, say good-bye to Gon and Killua. And then I'll leave. Somewhere that they won't find me; no one to remind me of Whale Island, no one to remind me of Kurapika, Gon, Killua, or Leorio. No one to remind me of Hisoka. No one to remind me of Kuroro.

_I'll start over._

I made my way toward Hisoka's room after his match with Gon. Our relationship has always been strange from the beginning, but since I'm never going to see him again, I decided to say good-bye to him first.

"If you are absent again, Danchou will personally come looking for you."

I stopped dead in front of Hisoka's door. The voice coming from Hisoka's room was too familiar. And the cold aura made me even surer. My heart pounded.

_It couldn't be… Why is Machi here?_

Before my brain could function, the door opened. And there she was standing in front of me, appearance unchanged from the the last time I saw her. An expression similar to mind showed on her face. It was hard to believe that such a surprised expression could appear on her face.

"Shoga?"

At that moment of panic, I made the worst decision I could make.

I ran.

Machi didn't chase after me. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to catch me anyway. But I shouldn't have ran in the first place. That would just make her even more suspicious. Well, there's no turning back now. I just kept running and running, with many thoughts in my head.

_Sorry, Gon. Sorry, Killua. I don't have time to say good-bye. _

I boarded the first airship that I could get on. It's not that I'm worried about Gon and Killua getting involved with the Ryodan, because Hisoka would definitely defend them since he's so interested in Gon. But if I stayed there, Machi would either come get me herself, or report to Kuroro.

Although I may be just thinking too much. I mean, they didn't care so much when I died, so why would they care if I suddenly came back? Maybe I didn't have to run. Sometimes I think too highly of myself. Oh well, maybe this is better for me. No good-byes… it'll also erase the risk of Mito forcing me to stay at Whale Island again.

_Starting over might just be possible._

I looked at my boarding pass for the first time for the destination.

_Here I come, Whittle Town. _

* * *

TBC.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the month-long wait! I actually could've uploaded this chapter earlier, but I suddenly got a virus and lost all my files. So I had to re-type everything… sigh, I hate viruses. Anyway, I hope you all had fun(?) with this chapter. Btw, please stop by my profile to participate in the new poll!


	21. Coincidence X Partner X Trap

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Coincidence X Partner X Trap**

"Welcome to Holidays Café! What can I get for you?"

"Vanilla milkshake."

Today's my third day in Whittle Town. I must say that luck has finally come to visit me! Whittle town was a peaceful city just like Whale Island. It's not as quiet here, since it's a busy place, but it seems like an orderly town. I heard from the owner of the hotel that I stay at that this whole town was ran by a single woman named Victoria Letters. I don't know what kind of person she was, but to be a ble to run a town like this, she must be a great woman!

For the third day in a row, I've been coming to this 'Holidays Café'. They have the best drinks here whether it's coffee, tea, juice, and everything else you can think of. With the money I earned from Celestial Tower, I can last here for a long time. Maybe I can work here! They'll hire me since I come here so often!

As I was fantasizing my new life there by myself, I didn't notice a man come close to me. A particularly pale hand placed itself on the chair across from me, and I finally noticed. I looked up, and regretted.

"May I sit here?"

The familiar, cello-like, calm voice sent chills down my spine. The man dressed in an expensive-looking black suit; his black hair spread smoothly down his forehead, which was hidden by rolls of bandage. Oh, how could I ever forget this attire?

_Why is he here?_

"Um… aren't there a lot of empty seats around?" I kept a calm expression, but avoided his eyes.

"Ah, actually, I've always sat in this seat, so I feel weird sitting anywhere else."

_What a lie! You don't even come here!_

"Oh, is that so?" I said a little shakily. "Then… by all means, take a seat."

"Thank you," the man sat down gracefully. "Nobody really takes liking to this corner seat, so I sort of made it my private space. It surprised me a lot to see someone already sitting here. What's your name?"

"…." I glanced at him briefly. "If you wanted to flirt with me, you should introduced yourself first."

He chuckled, the same way he always did. "My name is Kuroro Lucifer. You?"

"Ginger."

The two of us sat there talking for a while, but it was more like a lying marathon. Kuroro told me that he was a journalist that lived here, and I told him that I was just a spontaneous traveler. Although, Kuroro's smiling face gave me bad feelings. I think he already knew who I am. Hisoka once told me, "a person's scent never changes." Is my scent really that obvious?

"Ah! Mr. Lucifer! You haven't been here for three days, we were wondering what happened!" a young waitress came saying.

"Sorry, I was a little busy with an article I was working on," Kuroro replied. What the hell has he been doing all this time?

"What can I get you?"

"The usual," Kuroro smiled gently, making the waitress blush and glare at me enviously.

I rolled my eyes. _If you want this seat, you can take it!_ _I'll even treat you the strawberry milkshake!_

"Mr. Lucifer, you're quite popular with girls, aren't you?" I asked absent-mindedly.

"Perhaps," he said. "You're the second person I've ever met to sit so comfortably across from me."

"I'm immune to handsome faces, Mr. Lucifer."

"Please, just call me Kuroro," he chuckled. "You know, you remind me a lot of an old friend of mine. We spent a lot of times like this together, and she always said interesting things like you did."

"Oh…" I looked away. "I have a plain face, so I get mistaken easily."

"Can you call me Kuroro, Miss Ginger?" Kuroro suddenly asked.

"Eh?"

"Just once. I want to hear it."

I frowned, and became a little worried.

"…Kuroro."

A lonely expression appeared on Kuroro's face; my heart pounded heavily. However, his smile returned in just a moment. It's always been hard to tell if he's acting or for real.

"I'm sorry, you sound a lot like her…"

I knew that Kuroro was good at acting like this. But… I was a little convinced by him this time.

"Is she important to you?"

Kuroro looked at me in the eyes; his black pupils were sucking me in.

"She promised me, that she would never leave my side."

* * *

"As a spider, I am the head, and you are the body," Kuroro said this often. "If we lose either, we cannot function."

Since we were all young, Kuroro has always been the natural leader. Sure, there were cocky and self-absorbed guys in the Ryodan, but when it comes to Kuroro, everybody listens. There's a sort of aura about him that makes you want to follow him. He was always calm, and always able to think clearly. I don't think anyone else in the world can do this. Even so, to this kind of leader, I was still the same troublemaking child that I always was.

"Shoga, you are the least Spider-like out of all of us," Sharlnark always said.

"How? I do the same things that all of you guys do!"

"Well, I don't know how to explain it, but that's what makes you special! Why else could you keep Danchou interested for so long!"

Interested? Is that the reason that he keeps me in the Ryodan? Not because I'm useful or a reliable force? What does he think I am, anyway? I was a bit irritated. It wasn't like I was the weakest in the Ryodan. I mean, he was the one that suddenly made me a member out of the blue, and didn't even ask for my consent.

"Kuroro!" I stormed into Kuroro's room and yelled. "Just what part do I play as a part of the Ryodan? Or am I really a part at all? You better answer honestly!"

Kuroro looked up from his brook. "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer! I asked first, you know!"

Seeing how serious I was, Kuroro closed up his book and looked at me straight in the eyes. "Well, let's see… from the moment I met you, I've never ever thought of you as a Ryodan member."

My eyes narrowed and all the hairs on my body stood up. "Then why do I have this stupid spider tattoo on my back? Why am I even here?"

"Let me finish, Shoga," Kuroro smiled gently. "You don't think of me as Danchou either."

"What? Yes I do!"

"I could tell since I first laid my eyes on you that you were different from us," Kuroro continued. "Even though you grew up in Meteor Street, the emotions in your eyes were different. None of us would've handed that piece of bread to the little boy."

My angry expression was changed to a confused one. "Then… why have you brought me to the Ryodan?"

"Because I know only a person like you wouldn't betray me."

"Eh?"

"You don't think of yourself higher than me, nor lower than me. In fact, our interest for each other sticks us together like glue. Think of it as a man and his shadow."

"So… more than a Ryodan member, I am like… Kuroro's…" I searched for fitting words.

"You're mine," Kuroro said as he reopened his book. "And you can't leave me."

My heart was beating normally again. I don't know why, but I was satisfied. Maybe I was being lied to, being fooled, but I couldn't help myself but listen to Kuroro. I smiled like a child, and wrapped my arms around Kuroro's neck.

"Kuroro, if I wanted to leave you, you can go ahead and cut off my legs!"

* * *

I honestly felt more angry than guilty. I mean, who was he to say that I left him? He was the one that turned his back on me, along with the other heartless people that I used to love! I tried not to show any of my anger on the outside, but knowing Kuroro, he probably can tell already.

"Actually, Miss Ginger, there's a reason why I came to talk to you today," Kuroro said, suddenly changing the subject. He always did this, not giving people much time to think. "I've been watching you for a while now."

"I didn't think you would have that kind of hobby, Mister Kuroro."

Kuroro chuckled. "You're every funny, Miss Ginger. You're just what I need."

I gave him a fake smile. "What do you mean?"

"Surely you've heard of Victoria Letters, right?"

"What about her?"

"Have you ever thought about how a single woman can run a 'perfect' town?"

"Um… maybe she's very… respectable?"

"To the point that there are no criminals, and that all the citizens have no conflicts?"

"Oh…" I never noticed. "Now that you mentioned it, that's a little unusual."

"Yes," Kuroro continued, "And with the ridiculously high tax, none of the citizens have any complains and pays obediently. Meanwhile, Miss Letters enjoys the riches earned by her citizens. Yet the people here still work as hard as ever."

"So what does that have to do with you or me?"

"You know how journalists are. We always want to reveal the truth about something to the people, especially when it's something that affects all of us so greatly."

_What a load of crap!_ _I bet she just has something you want!_

"That's… very admirable of you, Mister Kuroro." I forced to keep that smile on my face. "But what does that have to do with me? I'm just a mere traveler; I may leave tomorrow, or even today."

Kuroro completely ignored my lies. "Miss Letters is very strict when it comes to the security of her private home. The only time that she'll let people in is when a newcomer wants to declare citizenship. That itself is suspicious enough, don't you think?"

"So you want me to sneak in there for you?"

"Not for me, we'll do it together," Kuroro said, reaching a hand out at me. "So how about it? Want to work with me as a team, Miss Ginger?

* * *

I must be out of my mind when I agreed to help Kuroro. He definitely already knows that I'm actually Shoga, so why doesn't he blow my cover? It doesn't make sense to me. So maybe I was a bit curious, and I was tempted by Kuroro's extending hand again. Whether it was the irresistible 'we', or his voice, his smiling face, his dark eyes that I think about every day, I should really punch myself. I let myself fall into Kuroro's trap again. But deep down, I knew I was overjoyed to see Kuroro again, and how much I wished to be with next to him as Shoga.

The plan took place as soon as the following night. Kuroro dressed me in a black evening dress, while he wore a set of black suits. I was more than used to this kind of dress-up. In fact, I think I've worn this dress before. Kuroro definitely did it on purpose. Anyway, we took a taxi to the Letters' Manor, and it wasn't a bit less than what I expected. I will never know why one single person would need to live in a five-story mansion.

"Welcome, Mister Lucifer and Miss Ginger. Miss Letters has been waiting for your arrival." The gatekeeper said as he opened the gate for us. It seemed like he was the only one working at this manor.

The gatekeeper introduced himself as Baltimore Letters. It seems like he's actually the grandfather of Victoria Letters, which was quite unethical in my opinion. Who would let their grandparent work as a servant while they do nothing whatsoever? Anyway, as I was thinking to myself, Baltimore Letters brought us into the mansion. Once again, I was overwhelmed by the power of the wealthy world. There were crystal chandeliers, velvet curtains, marble floors, and staircases so long that you'd rather build in an elevator.

"Kuroro-sama!"

A sweet, almost honey-like, voice called out from the top of the stairs. We looked up, and there stood a young girl nowhere younger than me. Perhaps, even younger, which is surprising for a child that young to run a city. She has quite the look for a rich lady. Deep red curls that reached down her back, a complicated dress with the finest materials, and accessories with the shiniest stones in the world. And with the mischievous smile on her face, it was really hard to believe how much power she has.

_But what was with that 'Kuroro-sama'?_

"Miss Letters," Kuroro flashed out his gentleman-smile at the young girl, "you look very charming today as well."

I understood everything right when a shade of red appeared on Victoria Letters' face as soon as Kuroro smiled. Oh, it's another butterfly in the spider's web. Why am I here again? I think he can do this thing by himself. Just as I was badmouthing Kuroro in my mind, the redhead already darted down the stairs and mauled Kuroro. It sure made my eyes pop out of my sockets. This girl was not shy, not shy at all.

"Kuroro-sama! I've been waiting for you for so long! You said you'd come visit me everyday!" Victoria Letters whined as she nestled herself in Kuroro's chest.

"Sorry, Miss Letters, you know how busy I am with my job. Not to mention a friend of mine had just arrived in town."

"Oh," Victoria Letters finally made the effort to look at me. "This is your friend?"

"Yes, her name is Ginger," Kuroro glanced at me briefly. "She would like to become a citizen here. I wonder if that's all right with Miss Letters?"

Victoria Letters' head snapped around back to Kuroro. "Just call me Victoria, Kuroro-sama! And if it's Kuroro-sama's request, I'll make any kind of arrangements."

"Thank you, Victoria-san," Kuroro said politely. "Now if you could please hurry with the procedure. I have to get back to my work soon."

"Oh, I hate your journalist job!" The young girl pouted. "There should be more journalists so you don't have to do everything," she suddenly glanced at me, and then her grandfather, "am I right, Baltimore?"

"You're absolutely right, Victoria-sama."

Okay, she wants me to become a journalist so she can play seductress with Kuroro? Well, you know what? You can take him! And I'll take that job! Better yet, you keep him far away from me! I hope that'll teach him a lesson. I bet he already knew that this little girl would piss me off. She even has the same shade of hair I used to have… what a joke. Kuroro… he actually has the nerve to bring me to her.

"Thank you so much for your help, Miss Letters," I said, faking a smile at the lovestruck girl in front of me. But as expected, she didn't hear me at all.

"Miss Ginger," Baltimore Letters nodded at me. "Please come with me to sign a few papers."

"Oh, right." I tore my eyes away from the two. I swear I saw the little girl smirking at me, but I might just be hallucinating because I'm mad. I don't know why, but I'm just more pissed off than ever.

As Baltimore Letters lead me down the hall, I could hear Victoria Letters' voice faintly behind me saying "come on, Kuroro-sama, let's go to my room!" I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. What kind of partner is he to just leave me to do all the work? Then again, wasn't our target Victoria Letters? I guess he _is_ doing something, but then why did I have to come?

Anyhow, after walking for a while, the old man took me to an empty room. It only had a big couch, and a small table. On the table there was a piece of paper and a pen.

"Please sign your name on the paper."

I looked over the contract; nothing seemed suspicious. Did Kuroro just think too much? He must have. I mean, how could a little girl have some kind of special power, anyway?

So I signed my name as Ginger on the line.

The old man smiled. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Ginger. Now would you please go lie down on your back on that couch?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said: go lie down on the couch, _Ginger._"

The most unsuspected thing happened before I could understand what was going on. As the old man spoke, I saw the piece of paper light up in blue in his hand. And I felt my legs move themselves toward the couch. And like a puppet, I was thrown onto the couch, lying on my back. _It can't be... manipulatioin? _My eyes widened as the old man approached me, while loading a gun with bullets.

"I'm very sorry, but Victoria-sama does not approve of your citizenship here," he said monotonously. "Well, at least we can bury you in the grounds of Whittle Town, if you wish."

* * *

TBC.


	22. Names X Revealed X Going Home

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Names X Revealed X Going Home**

"Well, at least we can bury you in the grounds of Whittle Town, if you wish."

I stared wide eyed at Baltimore Letters, who was now pointing a gun to my forehead. I tried moving, but it was no use. This old man's manipulation was really strong; he probably has been doing this kind of manipulation for years. By the looks of things, the manipulation must've started since I signed the papers. How could I not have noticed? Baltimore Letters' aura was strange, very strange. It's as if he had two different auras within him. And that was probably the reason why I got confused. I contemplated for a while, and decided that I can probably still speak.

"You're being manipulated, aren't you?" I asked.

"I'm simply following my master's orders," Baltimore Letters said monotonously. "You are the one under my manipulation. It's better if you choose your last words carefully."

_That must be it. _

I have to say that I was just about one-hundred percent sure that my guess was correct. Baltimore Letters was under his granddaughter's manipulation. However, it wasn't a complete and thorough manipulation, like most other fighters would choose to use. I already knew it was impossible for a young girl like Victoria Letters to have the kind of Nen to control a town full of people. But if she could use her own grandfather's Nen secondarily, with such a simple manipulation using names, it's not an impossible thing to do.

"Hmph…" I chuckled through my nose. "Whether it's your granddaughter's manipulation or your own manipulation, they're all pretty much half-assed."

"You talk quite big for someone about to die."

I smirked. This old man's manipulation has a significant weakness, especially against someone like me. "Well, I'm sure you've considered this possibility—what if 'Ginger' isn't my real name?"

The old man did not waver like I'd expected. The corners of his mouth rose a few millimeters, showing me a smirk similar to mine. "That is a good question—only if it really applied to you. In this era many people have different aliases, different names that they go by. But the Nen I've put on the contract also tracks the name that you really recognize for yourself. Don't underestimate the power of a name, Miss Ginger."

I bit my lips, unbelieving the old man's words. However, he was right. I tried breaking free, but I couldn't, so that means the Nen on the contract was really working. This means that I've really taken the name 'Ginger' to heart, and now I recognize myself as Ginger? Baltimore Letters' Nen is like Pakunoda's memory-reading ability; there wouldn't be a mistake.

"Well then, if you have nothing else to say—"

"You have too much pride in your half-assed manipulation, baldy!" I said quickly, trying to earn myself some more time. There must be a way out of this; I just need some more time to think about it! Come on, Ginger, you're good at blabbering! Oh man, I have to stop thinking of myself as Ginger! "If your manipulation was so perfect, then why isn't Mr. Kuroro manipulated? If he'd signed the contract as well, I can guarantee that his real name is indeed Kuroro."

An agonized expression appeared on Baltimore Letters' face; looks like I've hit the bull's eye. "That's… that's because of that bastard tricking Master Victoria. Master Victoria was seduced by that man… that's why Master Victoria's manipulation altered on me."

I raised an eyebrow. Can a young girl like her perform such a complicated manipulation? No, I don't think so, which means Kuroro must've overcome this situation by himself. Let's go back to the fundamental weakness of Baltimore Letters' manipulation… if my name wasn't 'Ginger', then I could break out of his control. My real name is Shoga… shouldn't this be easy for me? Or have I been too attached to my life as Ginger, and now it has come back to bite me in the back?

"No matter… once I've killed you, that bastard would get angry with Master Victoria," as I was thinking to myself, Baltimore Letters continued on with this angry rambling. "And then… the disappointed Master Victoria would change her manipulation on me again, and I'd have him in my control. "

No, that's not it. Kuroro must've changed his own name in his mind at the last minute. For someone like Kuroro, it's probably nothing too difficult. Maybe I can do it, too, if Kuroro can do it then I can too!

"Have you ever thought that Kuroro changed his name while you tried to manipulate him?"

Baltimore Letters' eyes widened. Clearly, he was already very bothered by the fact that he couldn't manipulate Kuroro, and what I'm doing right now is just making it worse. Yes, when his mentality weakens, my chance to escape will increase.

"That's not possible! A name that someone identifies themselves with is not something that weak!"

"For someone like Kuroro, who is not restricted by _anything_ in the world, I don't think a few letters can bind him for a second!" I smirked at the old man, whose hands were starting to shake. "Just like what I used to read in one of Kuroro's stupid boring books, a flower is a flower. But for someone who spoke a different language, the word 'flower' doesn't mean jack to them."

Baltimore Letters was now speechless. The hand that was holding the gun had loosened a bit. I smiled a little deeper.

"In essence, nothing can be really named a definite thing. A 'flower' can be just a 'plant', or it can also be a 'colorful thing with stem and leaves'. So if you switch the situation around, 'Ginger' could also mean 'a stupid woman manipulated by Baltimore Letters', or 'a pathetic woman who changed her name from Shoga to Ginger'. To make things short, all of this just means—"

I struggled on the couch; I could already move my fingers.

"My name… is Shoga!"

I shouted at Baltimore Letters, who backed away a little, startled. Reacting on instinct, Baltimore Letters pulled the trigger. I jerked my shoulder away, but my hands and feet were still bound, so I fell off the couch altogether. But I smirked at the old man; my theory was working.

"You… damn you…" Baltimore Letters growled, and pointed his gun at me again. "This time I won't miss!"

"My name is Shoga… my name is Shoga…" I repeated to myself. My wrists can move now, and I could activate some Nen as well.

"Shut up!" Baltimore Letters shot at me again, but I rolled and dodged the shots. In my hand I materialized a hairstick, ready to attack the second I break free.

"My name is…"

Suddenly, the sound of explosion caught both Baltimore Letters' and my attention. The door which we entered through was blew open. Through the thick smoke you could see a black silhouette. I didn't have to guess who it was; it was too tall to be Victoria Letters.

"Shoga."

It was Kuroro. And he called my name, just like how he used to.

I jumped up from the floor and darted at Baltimore Letters, who turned his back on me due to the explosion. When he turned back, it was too late. I already had my hairstick pointed at his head, and before he could scream, I stabbed it right through his forehead.

* * *

If you thought that I got myself out of the mess, then you thought wrong. The real troubles start now, as Kuroro turned his eerie smile toward me. Suddenly I found the dead corpse of Baltimore Letters to be very intriguing, and my eyes would not leave the little bleeding hole on his forehead. From the corners of my eyes I saw Kuroro lift his foot, and began to walk toward the other side of the room. I looked up; it seemed like he was ignoring my pathetic act.

Kuroro tapped on the wall and the lamp attached to it with a few patterns. And to my surprise, the wall slid to the other side like a secret passage; Kuroro walked into it with a swift smile. Curious about the secret room, I followed behind him. I gawked at what was inside the room—aisles and aisles of bookshelves full of vintage-looking books.

"This is the real reason you wanted to sneak into the Letters' mansion, isn't it?" I asked Kuroro as the realization suddenly dawned upon me.

"It's only human nature to have ulterior motives, don't you agree?" Kuroro admitted to my question without faltering, walking down the aisles in search for something.

_I should've known. He couldn't have possibly come all the way here to save me. He came here to save these damn books!_

"So what did you do to Victoria Letters?" I asked in a rude tone; I wasn't in a good mood anyway. He put me in danger, and made me kill that old man for these old books.

"I killed her."

I looked at him in astonishment. "You didn't have to go as far as to kill her…"

Kuroro glanced at me briefly. "It doesn't make a difference now if whether I killed her or not. There are no commotions outside; the people are still living their lives as they were. They must've been under manipulation for so long that their memories have grown accustomed to it. Memories are such fascinating things, aren't they?"

My shoulders slumped. Kuroro was always saying such strange things, but you can't really say anything back to him.

After a moment of silence, I decided to ask him, "When did you come to this room?"

"When you started talking about the flowers and such," Kuroro replied without looking away from the books. "It was very interesting, so I had to listen for a while."

"Ha ha…" I laughed dryly. That means he'd heard everything. My whole cover's been blown, and surprisingly, I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be. But… my whole body's out of strength. "So… now you know everything."

Kuroro looked at me and smiled. "I knew since the beginning, Shoga."

_Then why act like you didn't? _

"Well, you sure didn't look surprised that I was still alive," I said darkly.

"How could I be surprised when I already knew that you weren't dead all this time?"

_What?_ I stood there dumbfounded for a good minute, staring unbelievingly at Kuroro's back. He knew that I wasn't dead, but he still left me? I felt a mix of angry and lost. Why was I always the one who has to figure everything out on my own? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything? I've been alive for all these years, why didn't anyone come find me? Tears threatened to fall from my eyes.

Seeing that I wasn't going to talk, Kuroro turned toward me with a book in his hand, "It was something that only Shalnark and I knew about. If Shalnark pronounced you still alive, Hisoka would've really killed you." Kuroro explained as he opened his book to read, not realizing that my tears were already flowing down my cheeks. "When I came back days later, you were taken away…"

"_For ONCE, _Kuroro," I exclaimed through a sobby voice, "could you at least look at me when you talk?"

Kuroro looked at me, and closed his book with a snap. I felt him walk towards me, and I knew that he was close to me as he put his hand on my head, just like how he used to. "Remember? You are mine, and what is mine will always be in my hands. I knew that I could find you, whether you're on the verge of death or missing a leg. As long as you're alive, you'll always be mine."

"You idiot!" I tried to wipe away my tears. "That's breaking the rules of the Ryodan that you set up yourself, dumbass!"

Kuroro smirked and leaned down to look at me at eye-level. "Spiders will do whatever it takes to obtain what they want. If we can kill a group of people easily, why not keeping one alive?"

"Stop thinking that you can just do whatever you like, Kuroro!"

"Well, that's exactly what I think I can do, Shoga." Kuroro's calm voice sang to me in a lullaby. It has always mesmerized me, silenced me, carried me away. I felt his cold lips on my forehead.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"So basically, you killed that innocent young girl and put me in danger just for that old smelly book?"

I eyed the book in Kuroro's hand—_Reveries of a Solitary Walker_ by Jean Jacques Rousseau—with distaste. I knew how much Kuroro liked books, but all that for just one book? She would have thought that he'd bring the whole room with him if he had the power to.

"It is the very first copy that Rousseau wrote himself," Kuroro said as he flipped the dried-up yellow page. "Besides, the topic is of something I'm quite interested in right now."

"Oh~" I made an uninterested reply, and slumped into my chair. We were now boarded on a airship, heading for 'home.' I was having some really complicated feelings about seeing the other members of the Ryodan again. Doubtlessly, I was more than happy to be able to see them again, but when I think about it, what will happen with my life as Ginger? If I ever face Gon, Killua, Leorio, or Kurapika again, what will I do?

"Kuroro…" I made an attempt to bring up the truth to Kuroro.

"Hm?" Kuroro responded faintly, reading his book deeply.

_"Kuroro, if I wanted to leave you, you can go ahead and cut off my legs!" _

I couldn't say it. I knew that I couldn't leave him again. But the smiling face of Kurapika that's appearing in my mind tore me apart. Maybe Kurapika will never be able to find the Spiders. But I felt so much like a traitor. I was a traitor to Gon and the others, and also a traitor to the Ryodan. I just couldn't say it.

"What's wrong?" Kuroro asked, seeing that I was having trouble saying what I want to say.

"Oh, no… it's just…" I quickly made up something else in my head. "What will happen with Hisoka and I? I mean, you can't really go back and say that he's no longer Number 4."

"You won't be going back as Number 4," Kuroro said. "Although, it will just be temporary. Hisoka isn't entirely loyal to the Ryodan."

"What? How do you know?" I widened my eyes at Kuroro's bold statement.

"Something in my head tells me," Kuroro said, flipping through another page. "Anyway, Shoga, I've never really intended you to be a member of the Ryodan, remember?"

"So what are you going to say to pass this by?"

"You're just something interesting I picked up near Whittle Town," Kuroro said without even contemplating, "that is actually quite true, in a way."

I narrowed my eyes at him. His demeanor never changed; he's still as harsh with his words as usual. But I could never do anything except for submitting to him. "So… where is this big meeting of the Spiders going to take place again?"

"York Shin. We already have a hideout there."

York Shin… somehow that name sounded horribly familiar. I sensed some kind of bad things foreboding to happen in that city, but I was used to getting that kind of feeling now. I looked out the window… _One day, all the things I hide will fall apart. But maybe it is until then will I really be relieved of all the stress that I face._

Somehow I will walk through it all. Right?

* * *

TBC.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter! I couldn't think of a better place to cut it off. School starts in less than a week, but I hope to keep updating with this story. My goal is to release the final chapter during winter.


	23. Friends X Battle Plan X Ominous

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Friends X Battle Plan X Ominous **

It took about eight hours to get to York Shin from Whittle Town. Kuroro and I didn't talk much on the way. It's a good thing that I was used to spend time with him in silence, since he was always reading books and he probably ignored all the little things I say. All I learned about on that airship ride was the plans he'd come up for York Shin. According to Kuroro, there is a huge auction that was going to take place soon in York Shin. Kuroro's plan was to steal every item from the auction, and no doubt, the number people going to be killed wasn't going to be small.

I'd felt uneasy, then, but that was not all. The fact that Kuroro looked into my eyes with several long pauses worried me. What did he know? What was he really planning?

_I'm always loyal to you, Kuroro._

* * *

"Shoga! You're back!"

When we arrived at the hideout in York Shin, the only one there was Shalnark. Just as I expected, Shalnark wasn't surprised to see me at all. Shalnark hadn't changed at all. He still had that baby face, and those big round deceiving eyes.

"What's with the blonde hair and green eyes?" Shalnark poked at me as if we saw each other everyday for the past few years. "They don't suit you at all!"

"Thank you for the compliment," I said sarcastically. "I just wanted a change of style. I can change back anytime, you know?"

"That's good, then!" Shalnark laughed. "And here I thought you were _trying to hide from us._ But why would you? I must've been crazy when I thought that!"

Damn Shalnark.

My heart skipped a beat as Shalnark ended his sentence. Whether he knew something, or he was only guessing, neither of those could be good.

"Shalnark," Kuroro said, "are the others here?"

"So far I'm the first one!" Shalnark diverted his attention to Kuroro. "But I was just on the phone with Ubou. He should be here any sec—"

"OOII! Ubougin is HERE!"

The door suddenly slammed open and an ear-piercing loud voice came attacking our eardrums. Ubougin's big figure appeared from the darkness, and he hasn't changed much either, except maybe grew a few more muscles.

"Yo! Kuroro, Shalnark, Shoga…" Ubougin looked at each one of us, stopping at me and finally realizing something wrong. "SHOGA?"

I winced at Ubougin's loud voice, but smiled as Ubougin's eyes widened to the size of apples. "Ubou… I'm back!"

Ubougin rushed over and gave me a big bear hug, almost suffocating me. "Bwahaha! I knew it! I knew you wouldn't die that easily! But you hadn't come back in so long that I started to doubt myself!"

I laughed at Ubougin's childishness. I really missed it.

"Finally, you're back!" Ubougin continued to say excitedly. "I really don't like that Hisoka! Now that you're back, that guy can finally leave!"

"Ubou," Kuroro cut in, "Hisoka will remain as number 4, unless Shoga kills him."

With that, Kuroro glanced at me briefly. My heart jumped again; I never thought I would be this nervous around Kuroro. I know that Kuroro is thinking about something, something about me, and I can't figure out what it is. It's scaring me a little, really.

"WHAT?" Ubougin bellowed. "Come on, Danchou! You're going to choose that creepy guy over Shoga?"

"What's the ruckus, Ubou? We heard you from a mile away!" the familiar voice of Nobunaga came into hearing, along with a few other people's presence. I cautiously looked to the front door, and there they were, the faces that I missed for so long—Nobunaga, Feitan, Franklin, and Machi.

"Oi… isn't that…?" Feitan was first to notice.

"It's… Shoga…" Franklin also said surprisedly, unlike his usual calm self.

I looked at the group with a bitter smile, feeling my eyes watering up. Don't cry, don't cry, I told myself. And after taking a deep breath, I made sure that there wouldn't be any shaking in my voice and said, "I'm back, Feitan, Franklin, Nobunaga, Machi…"

The first to break into a huge smile was Nobunaga, who rushed over and hugged me, although not as hard and suffocating as Ubougin. "What the hell, Shoga? It took you long enough! All this time I thought you were really dead!" Nobunaga's voice was almost as loud as Ubou, and there was a bit of shakiness in his voice, but I couldn't see his face by the way he's holding me. I was glad; if I did I might break down in tears. And then, a big shadow clouded over us, and a big hand placed over my head. I looked up to see Franklin smiling at me.

"I knew my intuition wasn't wrong," Machi said as she walked up to us. "I almost doubted myself when I saw you at Sky Arena. I'm glad that I wasn't wrong…"

"Machi…"

"Tsk. Stop getting all mushy! I'm getting goose-bumps!" Feitan frowned at us and looked away. "Oi, you're here, Pakunoda."

_Paku?_ I looked toward the dark hallway where clicking of Paku's high heels came from. Out from the darkness came Paku, looking the same as always. All of a sudden, I felt like I couldn't hear anyone else around me, and all I saw was Paku and Paku saw me. I heard my own heartbeat as Paku's eyes widened at my presence, and then, with a slight smile that disappeared in a second, she spoke to me.

"Welcome home, Shoga."

Hot tears flowed down my cheeks.

* * *

It all seemed so surreal to me—my reunion with the Ryodan. For me to ever see my friends again, and for them to instantly accept me again… I felt like I was wrapped in the softness of rose petals. Not long after Paku arrived, the other members gradually arrived as well. Shizuku, Phinx, Bonolenov, and Kortopi… they all welcomed me like family. And then, there was Hisoka.

I almost forgot about Hisoka while I was deep in the joy of reuniting with the Spiders, so when he emerged from the dark hallway I almost bit my tongue out of surprise. However, Hisoka didn't say a thing against me. For a very slight instant, I saw a flash of displease on his face. And then, he looked away as if he didn't know me at all. I took the chance and looked away as well, pretending that I was someone different. But inside my chest, I felt a bit stuffy and hard to breathe.

Kuroro introduced me to the Ryodan as 'Ginger', and the others all took it very well, playing with the act. It made me uneasy; I was keeping up lies with both sides. I couldn't pay much attention when Kuroro explained their current mission.

"Our target is—everything being auctioned," Kuroro announced lastly as everyone's faces showed excitement. Ubou was exceptionally pumped up.

"And what about the people there, Danchou?" Ubou asked through gritted teeth. His voice was trembling, as if he was holding himself back from his bloodlust.

"Kill them," Kuroro said cleanly, granting Ubou's wish.

All the muscles on Ubou's body tensed and he wore the most excited expression ever. Ubou opened his mouth and roared, as if to release his excitement so that he doesn't go out of control. The other members smiled at Ubou's reaction; it's been a while since they all went on a big mission together. It seemed like everyone's been itching to make a mess. I, on the other hand, was a bit held back.

As everyone gradually left the room to wait for nightfall, and it was only Kuroro and I together in silence, I made my way toward him. I was scared to tell him how bad I felt about this mission, but I couldn't keep it in. I felt like things would just get worse if I told him what's on my mind, but… in the end everything will come together, and I wouldn't have to keep everything stored up in my confused heart anymore.

"Kuroro…" I called Kuroro's name softly. Kuroro wasn't going to take part in the first part of the mission, along with Paku, Hisoka, Phinx, Bonolenov, and Kortop. He picked up his book again, and silently allowed me to speak. "I… don't know if I can do this…"

Kuroro didn't plan for me to be part of the mission at first, but he'd just placed me among Ubou, Shalnark, Shizuku and the others on the spot. And my job was to join the slaughter.

"You can't do it, or you don't want to do it?" Kuroro asked me calmly, but it stung my heart.

I bit my bottom lip, unable to think of a reply. The palm of my hand perspired, and my eyes could not leave the ground. I felt Kuroro look at me.

"Shoga… what are you trying to tell me?"

I looked at Kuroro in the eyes, but for just a brief second, I looked away again. Those black eyes were sucking me in, and I was scared. "Kuroro… I… I don't want to kill anymore…"

There was a suffocating silence between us. And then, I heard a low chuckle from Kuroro.

"It's kind of funny—now that you're not officially a Spider, you act more like a Spider than before…"

I looked up at Kuroro in confusion, and to see him walking close to me.

"That was the first time ever that Shoga told me what she wanted, her desires," Kuroro said as he put a gentle hand on my cheek and caressed it. Softly, but it seemed like all of tips of his fingers were leaving burning traces on my skin. I could feel it—the murderous intent from Kuroro's aura.

"…or was it really Ginger that said this?"

_Kuroro… I, Ginger and Shoga, are the same._

* * *

The night of September first, there were little clouds in the sky. Even with all the people that ruled the underground word gathered in one place, the city of York Shin was still loud and lively. I was the only one in this place with a suppressed, despaired emotion. I was put on Franklin and Feitan's team, a team of total slaughter. Once we were in the main hall of the auction, the slaughter began, and all I could hear was the people's screaming overlapping the sound of Franklin's bullets. I saw people's bodies jerking, twitching from the force of the bullets, heads exploding, blood splashing mixed with fluids in the brain. I couldn't stand watching it; I couldn't understand how I used to think it was nothing.

"Oi, what's wrong?" Feitan asked me as the shooting ceased. Everyone was dead, and Shizuku came in to suck up all the corpses with her Deme-chan.

"I'm just… a little tired…"

"Che," Feitan rolled his eyes at me. "Some things just never change. You're as lazy as ever."

"It's all right, Shoga, it doesn't seem like we need to do anymore," Shizuku said as she finished cleaning up the mess. "These people aren't that remarkable."

"Shizuku, you forgot that you need to call her Ginger from now on, or at least in front of Hisoka," Franklin said. "Let's go. Shalnark and the others must've finished with the other side."

We met up with Shalnark's team on the other side and escaped with a hot-air balloon. However, we didn't succeed in stealing the auctioning items. Someone had already taken it elsewhere before we got to it. It was the perfect timing.

"There's a traitor among us," Ubou said to Kuroro through the phone.

"No, there's no traitor among us," Kuroro said confidently. "It must've been the work of the 10 Godfathers and Injiyuu."

* * *

The mafias shot our balloon down not after too long. In fact, we were waiting for them to shoot us down. We landed in a valley where the mafias surrounded us, but unfortunately for them, Ubou alone was enough to take on all of them. And then the Injiyuu came. They were a tough bunch, but they were still no match for Ubou's power.

One of the guys planted leeches inside Ubou and paralyzed him. But Ubou defeated them with his loud voice, which, by the way, almost knocked me out as well.

"Hahaha! Too bad for you, Shoga, to have such sensitive hearing!" Nobunaga laughed uncontrollably as I wobbled and almost fell down.

_It's not that funny, jerk._

"Ubou! Are you trying to kill me too?" I shouted at Ubou.

"Sorry about that, Shoga!" Ubou grinned at me, looking at apologetic at all. "If I warned you, then they wouldn't covered their ears!"

I sighed in exasperation; it's still as dangerous as before, being on the same team as Ubou. Shalnark, Shizuka, and some others gradually went down to help Ubou. I was about to follow them down as well, but suddenly, I stopped in my tracks.

_That aura approaching… is too familiar. _

"Oi! What's going on!" a commotion started below, and I looked down to see Ubou being chained up by a Nen chain. My eyes moved fast; along the Nen chain I found the Nen user who captured Ubou.

It was Kurapika.

My heart was pounding hard enough to break out of my chest. Kurapika captured Ubou. Since when did he acquire such a power? But more than that, this is not a good sign! I could feel it—something bad was going to happen!

"Oi! What are you doing, Shoga? We're chasing them down!"

Shalnark's voice came from below. They were all getting into a car to chase Kurapika and Ubou. I couldn't think on the spot, but my feet took my numb body toward Shalnark.

_Kurapika… what are you thinking…?_

* * *

TBC

A/N: Hi guys! I feel extremely bad for not updating until now, and yet coming out with such a short chapter. I'm currently a bit overwhelmed by school, and I barely have time to sleep, even. Please bear with me a little more until winter, and I promise that the pace will speed up! Thanks for reading!


	24. Death

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Death**

"_An event as sad as unforeseen came finally to efface from my heart this feeble ray of hope, and make me see my destiny fixed forever without change here below."_

_-Jean-Jacques Rousseau_

* * *

After chasing the car that Kurapika and Ubougin were in, we were hindered by another member of the Injiyuu. The guy used a Nen cloth to capture our car and shrunk it. But as the Genei Ryodan, he couldn't have possibly believed that he'd captured us all at once. Everyone, except for Nobunaga, who was sitting in the innermost spot of the car, got out before he could catch us. And naturally, it was death for him. And it just makes me worry so much more for Kurapika…

-You may be able to catch one Spider by chance, but you've got no chance with a group of them.

* * *

The group split up; one to go on and chase after Ubou, and the other to head back and report to Kuroro. And I, of course, ran away as usual. Even it was clear that Shalnark, Nobunaga, and Machi alone can take care of the situation, I still could not go with them to retrieve Ubou. I couldn't possibly imagine facing Kurapika in this state, and the possibility of Kurapika getting killed was just too scary to even think about. I felt ashamed, though, ashamed at the fact that even if I went, I wouldn't know which side to stand on if Kurapika's life was in danger.

And so, I returned to the hideout with Franklin, Feitan, and Shizuku. Franklin reported to Kuroro what happened, and how Ubou got captured. And as expected, no one was particularly concerned about this matter, because there's no way that Ubou's rescue would fail. No one, except for me, felt shaken about any of this.

Kuroro gave orders to wait until all the other members returned, and so we each returned to our own rooms to rest.

"Shoga," Paku quietly called my name when we walked down the dark hall. "You seem a bit uneasy."

I was surprised that Paku had noticed, but I the extra attention made me feel more uncomfortable. "Paku… I just feel a little worried about Ubou, that's all."

"You shouldn't worry about Ubou. Nobunaga might be the reckless type, but with Shalnark and Machi there shouldn't be any problem with rescuing Ubou." Paku said, looking at me deeply in the eyes. "Unless you know something that we don't."

My heart thumped. At times like this I was thankful that no one else here had as good of hearing as I did. But I still had to be careful; if Paku touched me, she might get something about Kurapika.

"No, why would I…"

"Shoga, we all have secrets, and I don't care so much about everything you have to hide," Paku said to me coldly, "but if you're hiding something from Danchou, and it's something that's important to the Ryodan, I will consider you a traitor."

I frowned at Paku's words, feeling irritated. "What are you accusing of me? I know you've never liked me much since the beginning when we met, but if you're suspecting, why don't you use your power on me and see for yourself?"

Paku's eyes widened for an instant, and her face fell to darkness. "You've been acting strange since you came back. I just hope that I could trust you…"

With that said, Paku turned and walked her own way. My chest felt tight and I felt a bit…sad. The relationship between Paku and I was always on the edge between good and bad. And over the years, it's been getting better. But just now, I felt like it reversed back to where it started. But I couldn't help it; I was the one that started it.

I felt like traitor myself.

I took a deep breath and entered my room. My ears seem to have a buzzing resounding inside it; I couldn't think very well. I felt tired, but my feet don't move. I didn't sit down anywhere; I just stood in the middle of the room. I felt numb.

"I see the little kitten is comfortable enough to leave the door open~"

All the hairs on my body stood up at the shrilly voice that started behind me. Now that I think of it, I haven't spoken to Hisoka at all since I last saw him in Sky Arena. I honestly don't know what I should think about him now. Is he my friend, or is he a foe? I can't seem to grasp the way that I talked with him before.

"Are you here to entertain yourself from my pain again?"

"Hn~" Hisoka's raised an eyebrow. "No, not exactly. The truth is that I'm a bit disappointed in you, little kitten~"

"Oh yeah? And here I thought my misery was the sweetest candy for you."

"It's not fun anymore when you stop struggling, little kitten~"

_This man always knows what to say to make me feel worse._ "If making me feel bad is all you're gonna do, can you please leave now?"

"The person who kidnapped Ubougin is Kurapika, isn't it?"

My heart almost fell out of my body. "How… how did you find out?"

"Partly from the way you're acting, and partly from what I know~"

"What?" I looked at Hisoka in the eyes. He had his usual smirk on, and I knew that he knew something that I don't. Again. And this time, he's definitely planning something. "What do you know?"

"Hm~" Hisoka put a hand to his chin, acting like he was contemplating really hard. "Depending on whose side you're on, I'll decide whether or not to tell you~"

I frowned. "What do you mean by 'whose side you're on?'"

Hisoka's smile widened. "The Ryodan's… or the golden boy's…?"

"Don't play around with me, Hisoka…" I said as my fists tightened at my sides. "Does it matter whose side I'm on?"

"Nnhn~ well, I guess it doesn't really matter~" something flickered in Hisoka's gray eyes.

"Then tell me!"

"Hm~ okay~ I'll make this short for you~" Hisoka smirked. "Kurapika and I have a deal; since the Hunters Exam ended, we've been keeping contact. The deal is that I'll give him information on all the members of the Ryodan, and his side of the deal is to create a chance for Kuroro and me to fight."

…

"What?" I was barely able to get that through my lips. Hisoka, on the other hand, just leaned against the wall and smirked. It suddenly dawned on me that, for all this time, I was clueless and I was the one that brought everything unto myself.

"You fought me to join the Ryodan so that you can fight Kuroro… and when you knew that you can't get through all the Ryodan members, now you're trying to let Kurapika eliminate them…"

"That's right~" Hisoka clapped jokingly. "It's what the boy wants~ this way it's a win-win for the both of us~"

I ran toward Hisoka and grabbed by the collar. I didn't know what I was thinking; I knew clearly that I couldn't beat Hisoka with all my might, but I was so angry that I couldn't think. "How could you?" I shrieked. "First you're trying to kill Kuroro and destroy the whole Ryodan, and now you're going to ruin someone else's life to help you do it? Kurapika has never killed anyone before! And I can't imagine what will happen to him when he does! Are you even human, Hisoka?"

"Someone as naïve as you shouldn't be talking like this," Hisoka clenched on my fists on his collar roughly, but I was too angry to feel the pain. "haven't you realized yet? You're about to get yourself into more trouble, little kitten~"

He tore my hands away from his collar, and exited through the window. "Not that you would tell anybody anything, because you've gotten yourself stuck in between two forces~ but I can kill you easily if you ruin my plans~ you should know that well~"

* * *

Hisoka was right. I do like to get myself into trouble. But the weird thing is that… even though I know I was going to get in trouble, I don't stop myself from doing it. I think some part of me is always thinking that I chose to do the right things, but in the end it always turns out wrong and I just sulk in my own misery. There are so many times that if I'd just sat silently and watched things as they went, they probably could've probably turned out better for me.

But even after all these lessons, I still feel like I should keep trying.

"Where's Ubou?" Phinx asked.

It was very late when Shalnark and the others came back to the hideout. However, Ubou was not with them. Everyone gathered in the hideout, except for Hisoka.

"Ubou went by himself to get the chain user that captured him," Shalnark said calmly, and turned to Kuroro. "He'll come back as soon as he's finished. He probably won't be on time, though."

Kuroro nodded. "Very well. We'll wait for Ubougin to come back to start the strategy meeting."

Shalnark and the others spread around to sit somewhere to rest. I was the only one here who couldn't sit still. Ubou has gone by himself to take down Kurapika, but Kurapika already knows about Ubou's abilities from Hisoka. Ubou's in a bad situation. Even if Ubou's strong, I have a bad feeling about this.

I couldn't keep myself quiet, so I jumped up. "Kuroro! We have to go find Ubou!"

Everyone in the room looked at me strangely. Even Kuroro looked up from his book. I couldn't care less about the other people now. I have to save Ubou… and Kurapika…

"I don't think it's safe for Ubou to fight alone! He…" I tried to put all my thoughts into words, but it was all a mess. "If the chain user can catch Ubou, then he must be skilled. And besides… Ubou is not in his best state right now…"

"What are you saying?" Nobunaga suddenly spoke up. "Are you saying that Ubou can't beat that guy? You know how strong he is among the Ryodan."

"That's not the point, Nobu!" I said more worriedly now. "Ubou was injected with those leeches, and he still had injuries from fighting with the Injiyuu…"

"We got enough booze for Ubou so that he can get rid of the leech's poison," Shalnark said. "And he's slept enough to get his energy back. There's nothing to worry about, Shoga."

"But…"

"Shoga."

All heads turned to Kuroro when he spoke up. He looked into my eyes deeply and I felt insecure. What was he seeing? And why do I feel like he doesn't trust me? I averted my eyes away from him. It was probably not a good thing to do, but I did anyway.

"Do you know something?" he asked.

Such a rhetorical question… I couldn't answer, but if I don't, I'll just seem more suspicious.

"I…"

"You seem a bit anxious, Shoga," Kuroro said slowly. "That's not like you."

_What?_

"Yeah, I was thinking that too!" Phinx added. "You never used to worry like that, Shoga! Didn't you always hide behind Ubou because you know how strong he was?"

"Yeah, and you never cared what the consequences were. If you were Ubou, I think you would've gone after the chain guy too!" Nobunaga said in agreement.

"Not to mention you've been acting weird ever since you returned." Feitain glanced at me with narrow eyes.

"You guys… what are you guys talking about…" I tried to smile and make it seem okay, but my brows furrowed at every comment.

"Shoga… or should I say, Ginger?" Kuroro said, getting down from his post and walked in front of me, looking down with a soft smile in his eyes. "Did you know it's actually possible to become another person? In fact, all of us can. I read it in a book… that with compilations of memories, a person becomes another…"

Kuroro put his hand on my head and ran his hand through my hair. I shuddered; instead of the soothing it used to be, I was afraid of his touch. I felt cold sweat forming in my pores. Kuroro must've felt it.

"Look at the way you tremble… I've never felt something like this from you…" Kuroro said with a horrifically gentle voice, as if he was singing a lullaby. "It seems like… in these years, you've had some unnecessary memories…"

"Kuroro… what are you…"

"It's Danchou," Kuroro let out a small chuckle, and looked behind me. "Paku."

I swerved around to see Paku pointing her gun at me. I gasped and backed away, but Kuroro secured me in his arms. Very lightly, but I couldn't break away. I looked at Paku with desperate eyes, but I couldn't see hers. I looked around at everyone around us, but I couldn't see their blurred faces.

"No… please, Kuroro… please…" Fear induced into me, I let those broken words loose from my trembling lips.

"Paku," Kuroro said as if unable to hear me, "wipe her memory since the day that she left us."

"No… no!" I cried. "Please, Kuroro! If you're going to take my memory, then you might as well kill me! Please, Kuroro! Stop…"

Kuroro's head lowered behind me, and I could feel his lips close to my ear. "I would like to kill you too, but…" the warm breath next to my ear made my tears trickle down my cheeks. "I can't seem to do it…"

The last thing I heard was a loud bang. And then everything became black.

* * *

From a warm darkness Shoga opened her eyes. Coming from the window was daylight, and a dark silhouette sitting close to where she lied. Shoga couldn't think of what to think. She felt as if she slept for ages, and it was hard to remember what she did before she went to sleep. She racked her brains to remember. _Oh yes, _Shoga thought, _that's it… I was fighting with that bloody magician… Hisoka, was it? Strange… I thought I died…_

"Shoga," the black silhouette beside her spoke up, very softly.

She looked to her right, struggling slightly to turn her neck. The image in front of her eyes blurred for an instant, and she saw him. Suddenly, there was a bit of light shining in her eyes.

"…Kuroro…?"

The corners of his lips rose to a familiar angle. "You're awake…"

Shoga nodded and pushed herself up from the bed with her arms. She looked to her hand that was tickled by the brush of her deep red hair. _Weird… when did my hair grow so long?_

As if knowing what she was thinking, Kuroro said, "You've been asleep for a long time, my Shoga…"

At that, Shoga turned to him. There was a strange air about him, but she couldn't grasp what it was. And suddenly, tears started to fall down from her eyes involuntarily.

"…Eh?"

"What's wrong?" he asked, bringing her closer with his arms, resting her on his legs like he always did. And she curled up like a cat, just like she used to.

"I don't know…" Shoga looked at him with confused eyes. "I feel like… I lost something really important to me…"

Kuroro's black eyes tinkled. She felt like she was being sucked in, like she always was. Before she knew it, his face lowered in front of hers. Kuroro's cold lips sent chills from her own lips down to her spine. It wasn't their first time, but she felt as if she was new to his kiss because of a long separation. Although not knowing why she felt this way, since she doesn't remember ever separating from Kuroro, but yet she felt another wave of emotion coming through her whole body.

_"Shoga, is there something you would like?"_

_Kuroro… I missed you…_ Shoga thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around Kuroro's neck, bringing the two of them closer.

After what seemed like hours, Kuroro pulled away, looking at Shoga's flushed face with satisfaction.

"I'm right here, Shoga."

Shoga nodded. A big childish smile that hasn't been seen on her face revealed itself once again, and she snuggled against Kuroro's chest.

"You haven't lost anything…"

* * *

TBC.

A/N: Writer's block and school don't match well...


	25. Requiem X Forgotten X Gon

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Requiem X Forgotten X Gon**

It's been a whole day since Shoga woke up from her long sleep. Although she didn't feel like it was a long sleep at all. Not to mention the strange reactions of her comrades upon seeing her; they acted as if they hadn't seen her in ages. Even though Kuroro already told her that she had been sleeping for a very long time, it felt a bit weird for her—the fact that everyone acted overly nice, even the ones who usually picked on her. Even Paku, who was quiet toward her as always, didn't give off any cold aura when she saw her. In fact, she avoided Shoga's eyes.

"Machi, why is everyone acting so… strange?" Shoga asked as she let the blue-haired girl trim her long hair down.

"…It's because we all thought you would never wake up. You were very injured from that fight," said Machi, snipping off Shoga's red hair rapidly.

"Oh, I see…" Shoga said, looking down to see strands of her hair fall down to the floor.

"Don't move your head."

"Oh!" Shoga looked back up into the mirror in front of her. She studied her facial features. She couldn't grasp what it was, but she felt different. Her eyes seemed to be redder, and she felt a little taller. And most strongly, she felt like she's grown a bit. In what way, she didn't exactly know.

"Okay, you're done."

Machi's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked at Machi's satisfied face and her now waist-length hair. Now, she felt a little more like herself.

**

* * *

**

"Now this is the Shoga I know!" exclaimed Phinx as Shoga came out from the room with Machi. The rest of the Ryodan seemed to agree with Phinx, so did Kuroro.

"Thank you, Machi," said Kuroro, knowing that Shoga never said thank you.

Machi nodded, taking a sit next to Shizuku.

Phinx walked up to Shoga and ruffled the girl's hair. "Hey! You look a few years younger, Shoga! Thanks for Machi!"

"Hmph!" Shoga puffed up her cheeks and swatted away Phinx's hand. "And you look about ten years older since the last time I saw you! Makes me wonder how long it's been!"

"Oi!" Phinx yelled at Shoga, but didn't say anything more. The room fell into an awkward silence.

"That's enough, Shoga," said Kuroro finally, breaking the awkwardness. "Come here."

Shoga made a face at Phinx before sitting down close to Kuroro. Once again, the room fell into silence. Shoga looked around at the Spiders and at Kuroro; they seemed to be waiting. Kuroro had already told her all about the York Shin mission and how they failed their first attempt, but that didn't explain why they were waiting. She'd thought that Kuroro would've given orders to chase after those ten old men that took away the auction pieces. However, by the looks of everyone's faces, it seemed way more serious than that. And then, finally, looking around again, Shoga noticed something weird.

"Kuroro…"

"It's Danchou."

"Where is Ubou?"

Shifting noises could be heard as everyone turned their heads toward the questioning girl. Kuroro also looked down at Shoga with a very slight surprise in his eyes. Shoga frowned at this kind of reaction, and no one even tried to give her an answer.

"Is something wrong?"

"Shoga," Shalnark decided to speak up. "Remember we told you that on our way back we were stopped by some people, and that Ubou got captured by some chain user, and now he has gone off to fight that guy?"

"Yeah," Shoga said, "shouldn't he be back by now? I mean, Ubou isn't like Feitan, who likes to torture his opponent."

Feitan glared at the girl.

"The thing is… Shoga…" Shalnark said uneasily, looking at Kuroro. After Kuroro gave a small nod, Shalnark continued, "…we think… that Ubou is dead…"

Shoga widened her eyes at Shalnark's assumption. She looked at Kuroro, who didn't say anything, and looked back at Shalnark, who didn't look like he was kidding at all. "No way," Shoga said, "No way! He's probably just tired from fighting, and then took a nap! And he overslept! That's all!"

"Enough, Shoga!" Nobunaga's harsh voice stopped Shoga in mid-rambling. Shoga looked toward Nobunaga, who had his head down with his hand clenching hard on his sword. "We already thought of all the possibilities. Ubou couldn't be this late, unless…"

"How could you say that, Nobu?" Shoga almost shouted. "Ubou isn't weak! You should know that!"

"I _do _know that!" Nobu stood up angrily. "You think I…"

"Nobu. Shoga."

Kuroro's voice ceased fire from the quarreling duo.

"No fighting amongst Ryodan members."

"Kuroro… is Ubou really…" Shoga looked Kuroro pleadingly.

However, Kuroro did not say what she wanted to hear. Instead, he only ran his hand through her hair, as if to comfort her. But it only saddened her more.

"Tomorrow night, the York Shin auction will take place again, which means all the auction pieces will be there," Kuroro announced to the Spiders, putting aside everyone's anxieties. "We will be going after all the auction pieces again, and this time with a new plan. Kortopi will make copies of the auction pieces and our dead bodies, and Shalnark will manipulate the staffs and make the auction proceed as if nothing happens. Shoga…"

Kuroro turned to Shoga, who looked at him with anger flaming in her eyes.

"I need you to work as my partner."

Shoga nodded.

"And if Ubougin doesn't return by nightfall…"

Kuroro grasped Shoga's trembling hand, promising…

"We'll destroy the Ten Godfathers, kill all the mafias… as a requiem for Ubougin."

Shoga shut her eyes tightly, but couldn't keep her tears behind her eyelids.

**

* * *

**

That night, Shoga slept with Kuroro's company again. Thanks to Kuroro's presence there, Shoga was able to calm down a bit. However, Kuroro left the next morning, saying that he had some business to attend to that regarded his plan for the following night. Maybe it was because of the traumatic news yesterday, Shoga felt uneasy when Kuroro left, even though she knew that nothing could happen to Kuroro. Leaving her room, she found out that Machi, Nobunaga, Phinx, and Pakunoda had left as well to look for traces of the chain user.

"Shoga, are you feeling okay?" Shalnark asked, being the first to notice Shoga.

Shoga nodded, but her expression completely showed that she was upset. And then, suddenly, she felt a chill and a sickening aura coming her way. She looked up to one of the higher fallen walls—Hisoka was sitting there, with his hand propping up his head, staring at her with interest. She glared at the magician; she heard from Shalnark that Hisoka was still a Ryodan member because he defeated her. She'd tried to have a rematch with him, but he'd only stare at her with a strange look and ignore her. Just like he did now.

"Shoga, no fighting amongst members," said Shizuku, sensing the murderous intent from Shoga as she was sitting closest to where Shoga stood.

Shoga's malicious aura died down after hearing Shizuku's words, but still, she glared at Hisoka. "The day that he dies is the day I'm a real member of Genei Ryodan…" she murmured as she took a seat next to Shizuku, who turned to Franklin in confusion. Franklin shook his head in silence.

A few minutes later, Shalnark's phone started to ring. With a couple beeps from his keys, Shalnark read his message and announced to everyone.

"Nobunaga and Machi were followed by two kids. They're bringing them here right now."

**

* * *

**

Shoga was confused, but amused at the same time. The two kids that Nobunaga and the others brought back were no older than twelve, yet they had the guts to follow members of the Genei Ryodan. If they knew anything about nen, they would've ran away from knowing how strong the Spiders are. But not only did they had the guts to come to the Spiders' hideout, they acted like they knew her.

The one with the black hair especially stared at her for a long time, as if to confirm something; his brows furrowed harder every second. The other kid with the silver hair also looked surprised to see her.

"AHH! Gin-" the black-haired boy shouted as he pointed at her, but was stopped mid-sentence by his companion.

Shoga raised an eyebrow.

"Someone you know?" Shizuku looked at Shoga quizzically.

Shoga shook her head in denial. "I think you boys got the wrong person…"

The black-haired boy's face suddenly fell. Shoga was confused; she only told the truth, but the boy looked so hurt from what she said. It was weird; she had never seen this boy before.

"No! No, we didn't!" the silver-haired boy said suddenly, putting a hand on his companion's shoulder as if to calm him and himself. "The girl next to you! We competed arm wrestling with her, and she was really strong…"

"Ah, I remember," Feitan said, "This kid arm wrestled with Shizuku, and she lost because she was using her right arm."

"When was this?" Shizuku asked. "No, I would never lose to a kid."

"You did, because you were using your right arm," said Franklin.

"Why would I do that when I'm left-handed?"

"Never mind. Forget I said anything.

Nobunaga, ignoring the others, looked down at the black-haired kid. "Hey, how about you arm-wrestle against me?"

**

* * *

**

The arm-wrestling commenced and everyone gathered around to watch. It was really pointless to watch, Shoga thought. Nobunaga was clearly stronger than the kid, and the kid probably would've lost against Shizuku if she had used her left arm. After countless rounds, the kid lost every time, and the back of his hand was already bleeding. But Nobunaga refused to stop. Shoga could feel that Nobunaga was upset, about everything that happened with Ubougin. The kid, Shoga had expected him to feel scared, but from his aura, Shoga noticed that he was angry instead.

"Say, what's my rank in arm wrestling in the Ryodan?" Nobunaga asked out of the blue.

"Seven or eight, I think…" Franklin said.

"Not weak, nor strong," Machi added.

"The strongest among us is a guy named Ubougin," Nobunaga said, this time addressing the kid in front of him. "It seems he's been killed by that guy with the chain."

Shoga tensed up at the mention of Ubougin. She walked toward Nobunaga, but was stopped by Franklin. She stood behind the swordsman, feeling every word he said.

"He used Reinforcement. We were like two peas in a pod. We fight a lot, and we hit each other like kids, but I always lost. We knew each other before joining the Ryodan. I'm the one that knows him the best." Nobunaga choked back a sob. "It's not possible for him to lose! He must've fallen into some kind of dirty trap! I won't forgive that chain user! Even if I have to kill tens of people, I will find him!"

Shoga trembled along with Nobunaga. _Those words he said to me yesterday were just a front, _she thought, _he didn't want to believe Ubou's dead either…_

"I don't know the chain user you're talking about, and even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you anything!" the kid suddenly said with shaky voice. Shoga looked at him in surprise; his aura suddenly burst with power. "Being able to cry for your companion… I was thinking that you couldn't cry, or you didn't have a heart. But now that you cried, why won't you share a little bit of that feeling…"

The hands tangled together suddenly began to tilt in Nobunaga's direction.

"…WITH THE PEOPLE YOU KILLED?"

The kid exclaimed as he slammed Nobunaga's hand down onto the table. Within that second, Feitan got hold of the kid's hands and bound them behind his back. Shoga, out of consciousness, darted forward at the kid and grasped his throat with her hand. The kid looked up at her with a mix of anguish and surprise.

"Gon!" the kid's companion tried to move, but Hisoka already came behind him.

"One move, and I'll cut~" Hisoka said as he placed a card on the boy's neck.

The black-haired kid named Gon glared at Shoga, but with no animosity in his eyes. "Why…?"

"Why?" Shoga raised an eyebrow at Gon's strange question. "Because everyone has to die one day, eventually. And since I don't know them, I don't care if they die and how they die. But Ubou is my friend. That's why I care." Shoga tightened her grip on Gon's throat. "Killing can be justified by countless of ways. People who kill to have revenge is justified by their revenge, aren't they? There are thousands of people who would kill to have our heads, and they're justified because we're criminals, right? The way that you were acting towards Nobu… if you killed him, you're justified by your anger, aren't you?"

"Gin… ger… nee…" Gon choked out broken words, but Shoga didn't have the mind to listen.

"To think that… I couldn't even meet Ubou before he was killed…" Shoga said shakily as tears fell from her eyes. "AND UBOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT I WAS STILL ALIVE!"

"Shoga, stop!"

Shoga slowly turned around to the man who told her to stop; she raised an eyebrow at Nobunaga's bemused face. "What?"

"You heard me," Nobunaga said, "Don't kill these kids."

Fire burned inside Shoga. "Are you out of your mind? You were the one that was having the most fun screwing up this kid's hand, weren't you?"

"That's because we were competing," Nobunaga said calmly in contrast to Shoga. "For now, don't hurt them."

"Why should I listen to you?" Shoga hissed at Nobunaga, getting angry at Nobunaga's attitude. "This kid just insulted you and Ubou… and even me! And you're telling me to swallow that quietly?"

"Don't bring that into this, Shoga!" Nobunaga snapped back at her. "It's already confirmed that these kids don't know anything about the chain guy, so there's no point in beating anything out of them! Right, Paku?"

Pakunoda nodded after a short pause. "There's nothing on the chain guy when I checked."

"If they don't know anything about the chain guy," Franklin added, "we should just let them go. They can't do any harm to us, anyway."

"…" Shoga bit her lip. Glaring at Gon once again, she let go of his throat completely and Feitan let go of his hands. The boy choked for air, yet he looked at her with an indescribable look in his eyes. He was definitely not angry that she just tried to choke him to death, but it seemed more like he was…sad? Irritated by the look in Gon's eyes, Shoga averted her gaze and snarled. "Brat, what are you still looking at? Hurry and leave before I change my mind!"

The silver-haired friend tugged on Gon's arm to lead him away. But just as they were about to leave, Nobunaga spoke up again.

"Hey, kid! Join the Ryodan!"

Shoga snapped her head towards Nobunaga, looking at him incredulously. However, Nobunaga didn't look like he was joking at all. He was serious about it.

"No!" Gon answered rapidly.

"Team up with me," said Nobunaga.

"I'd rather die than joining you!" Gon said firmly.

"Hehehe," Nobunaga chuckled. "It seems like you really hate us. You use reinforcement?"

"What does that have to you with you?"

Nobunaga roared with laughter. "Yeah! There's no doubt about it!"

Shoga, not able to hold it in anymore, shouted at Nobunaga, "Stop joking around, Nobu! Why do you want these kids to join the Ryodan? You know there are only twelve of us; adding them would be breaking the rules!"

"I'll ask Danchou about it," Nobunaga said nonchalantly. "If he says no, then it's a no. But if he says yes, we're keeping them."

"No! I won't accept that!" Shoga said, her aura bursting out. "If we can just add in random members that we like, then couldn't we take out Hisoka too?"

Threatened by Shoga's Nen, Nobunaga also became fired up. "Hey, Shoga, stop trying to test my limit."

"Just because he's in the same reinforcement group as Ubou, you want to make him join!" Shoga continued to yell despite of Nobunaga's warning. "Kuroro will not allow it! There's no reason for him to allow it!"

"Shut up, Shoga!" Nobunaga snapped. "You're the one that's the exception here! Hisoka beat you, and replaced you as number four! You're the one that doesn't belong in the Ryodan!"

"Hey, Nobunaga!" Shalnark quickly grabbed Nobunaga's shoulder. "That's enough!"

True enough, Shoga was silenced by Nobunaga's words. Her face flushed red from anger, and her body trembled. Everyone was looking at her now. She didn't dare looking at anyone in the eyes. She was afraid of seeing anyone agreeing with Nobunaga. The idea that she was agreeing with Nobunaga a little was scaring her as well.

"Okay, I get it," Shoga said quietly, a shadow over her eyes. "I'm not fit to be a Spider. I'll leave."

"Wait, Shoga!" Shalnark said hesitantly. "The plan tonight…"

"Hisoka can replace me, can't he?" Shoga said grudgingly, sending the magician a glare. Hisoka, in turn, smirked back at her.

Shoga suddenly felt disgusted to be among so many speculating people. She wanted to get out of here as soon as she could. She felt like she was going to cry if she didn't get out quick enough. But… she also wanted someone to tell hold her back. Until a hand actually grabbed onto her wrist from the back. She looked back to see the boy who'd been looking at her with such strange emotions. His eyes were so clear; they were not clouded by anything at all. For some reason, she felt like he was telling her that she could trust him.

"Ginger-nee," the boy said, "are you really a part of their clan?"

Shoga raised an eyebrow. "Boy, you got the wrong person. I have no idea who you're talking about."

The boy's eyes saddened. "Why don't you remember, Ginger-nee?"

Puzzled by Gon's words, and not wanting to look at his eyes anymore for some reason, Shoga turned to leave. Pulling her wrist out of Gon's hold, she felt a bit cold on her back. But she left, resisting the urge to look back.

"Now look what you've done, Nobu!" Shizuku said in a reprimanding tone. "Shoga finally came back, and you chased her away!"

"Geez, I'm sorry, okay?" Nobu said scratching the back of his head in regret. "I got a bit carried away! You know how she can be with that mouth of hers! Besides, I know what Ubou would actually prefer if he were still here…"

_"I really don't like that Hisoka! Now that you're back, that guy can finally leave!"_

"Anyway, there's no use crying over spilled milk. I'm sure Danchou can figure out a way to calm Shoga down," said Shalnark calmly as he sent a message through his phone about Shoga's leave to his boss. "The plan will carry out tonight as planned. Nobu, if you want the kids to join, you have to watch them yourselve."

"Yes, yes!" Nobunaga said, pushing the kids toward a door. "If anything about the chain guy comes up, let me know. I want to kill that bastard with my own hands."

As Nobunaga pushed the kids through the door and into the darkness, everybody began to scatter. Pakunoda, being the last one to leave, stared behind Gon's retrieving back. She murmured to herself.

"I was right… he just said Ginger…"

**

* * *

**

TBC.


	26. Massacre X Acquaintances X Inklings

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Massacre X Acquaintances X Inklings**

"I heard you fought with Nobunaga."

"…"

"Shoga."

"…Fine! I admit it. It's my fault! I overreacted… but you can't blame me! That kid insulted Ubou…"

"Come to the Cemetery Building."

"Huh?"

"You haven't forgotten the plan tonight, have you?"

"No… I remember."

"Then come over quickly. To the top floor."

_Beep—_

Shoga stared at the phone in her hand, sighing. After getting out of the hideout, she soon realized that she had nowhere to go. Luckily for her, Kuroro called her not too long after her fit. Shalnark must've told Kuroro, she concluded. He was thankful that Kuroro still included her in his plans; he still considers her a comrade. Although she did feel a bit disappointed that Kuroro cared more about his plans than her feelings. However, knowing what kind of person Kuroro was, Shoga quickly shook that thought out of her head, and started toward the city.

York Shin was normally a busy and loud city. But tonight was an unusual night. It wasn't just the noise of cars honking and crowds of people talking. As Shoga neared the Cemetery Building, sounds of people screaming in pain began to surface. She knew exactly what was going on; this was part of the plan that Kuroro created—a massacre. Leaving the killing to the Spiders, Shoga made her way inside the Cemetery Building easily.

As she arrived at the top floor and entered the sky viewing room, she was greeted by a mess of blood and guts laying on the floor. The room smelled completely of blood and battle. When she looked up, Kuroro was looking at her with a faint smile on his face.

"Welcome."

Shoga advanced toward Kuroro, careful with her steps so that she doesn't step on the remains of the dead. She looked up and down at his attire. "You put on a show again, didn't you?"

Kuroro didn't say a thing, but put his hand flat out in front of him. Shoga reached her hand out and rested it in his palm. In an instant, his fingers folded over hers, locking them in a grip, and lead her body forward. Shoga couldn't help thinking how cold his fingers always were, but they were always so soothing. Kuroro lead her to stand next to him. As she looked down at the city, sounds of bullets, explosions, and screaming filled her ears. Bright colors of fire and smoke danced in her dull-colored eyes.

"Watch and listen closely, Shoga," said Kuroro softly.

Shoga glanced at Kuroro briefly before turning back to the chaotic scene. Kuroro raised his hands as if to conduct music.

"This is a requiem for you, Ubou."

**

* * *

**

"Are you calm now?"

Shoga bit her lips, and then nodded. "Yeah…"

Kuroro put his hand on her head and petted. "It's not your first time getting into fights with everyone else. What is it this time?"

"…He said I wasn't fit to be a part of the Ryodan," said Shoga bitterly, looking up at Kuroro. "Do you think he's right?"

Kuroro looked into her eyes; his black eyes making her lose feeling in her head again. "Do you remember what I said before? I never saw you as a Ryodan member since the beginning."

"Yeah, but…" Shoga looked away. "It sucks… to not be counted on."

"Shoga."

"Hm?"

"It's about time," Kuroro said, looking at the time on his phone. "I need you to go downstairs to the eighth floor, and find the Ten Godfathers."

"Oh…" Shoga looked down again, disappointed.

"Shoga, look at me."

Shoga obeyed his order, and looked at him. Kuroro lowered his head so that his eyes were level with hers. The corners of his mouth curled into a small smile. His cold hand cupped her small chin, and the coldness gave a chill.

"I hired a Zoldick to eliminate the Godfathers. I need you to go there and assist him, and make sure he gets the job done."

"O…okay…"

Kuroro smiled deeper.

"You're the only one I can trust, Shoga."

**

* * *

**

After hearing what Kuroro said, Shoga felt a lot more cheerful. She made her way down to the eighth floor faster than ever, killing anyone who blocked her way. However, she did notice that there were not a lot of people around. They must've been evacuated to another place, she thought. She sensed some strong auras near the Godfathers' conference room, but she was confident about taking care of them.

As much as she expected, when she found the Ten Godfathers they were already armed and protected by assassins. She looked around the room; no one seemed to be strong enough to be a Zoldick.

"Aha! We've got you in our trap, Genei Ryodan!" one of the Godfathers said, pointing at her with a gun. "Two members of the Zoldick family are taking care of your boss right now. And you're surrounded by top-notched assassins in this room. You've got no chance surviving!"

"Top-notched assassins?" Shoga repeated. "All of you might as well come out at once. Don't waste my time."

"What?" a few tough-looking men stood up at Shoga's taunting. Shoga smirked at the sight of all the assassins. Materializing tens of hairsticks in her hands, she ran at top speed and through them out with great aim.

"No… no way!" seeing that a couple of assassins were stabbed by Shoga's weapon, the Godfathers began to panic and fire their guns.

However, Shoga was too fast for ordinary guns. All they saw was the girl murmuring things in from her lips, and then some of the assassins would turn on each other, and others would jump in front of them to block bullets for her. Within a few minutes, Shoga was about done with all the assassins. But all of a sudden, she felt an overwhelming presence among them. No, not just one, there were three. But one of them was extremely close to her.

She jerked around instantly and threw a couple of her weapons at the intruder. The man, however, dodged them easily. The man then threw her a few nail-like weapons, which she carefully dodged, but one grazed her cheek. She hissed at the burn, and didn't realize that the man already charged at her.

"Ngh!" Shoga quickly put her arms in front of her, blocking the man's punch. She groaned at the burning pain; her right arm must be broken now. But with this close distance, Shoga pulled out her left arm and stabbed a hairstick into the man's side. "Get away!"

The man's hand twitched and inched away from her for a short instant, but it succeeded in grabbing her left arm. With his other hand, he pulled out the hairstick from his side. His long, black hair poured down on her face and blurred her vision. He studied the weapon in his hand, and then stared at her with his big, black eyes.

"Ah," the man suddenly spoke. "It's you."

Shoga widened her eyes at the man's sudden change of demeanor. He loosened his grip around her arm, putting down his guard, showing that he wasn't going to attack anymore.

"Do I know you?" Shoga frowned.

"Hm?" this time it was the man that was confused. "Did I get it wrong? It can't be. This aura and the manipulation with sound…"

Shoga grabbed onto her right hand, which was throbbing with pain. She stared at the man disbelievingly; how could he be so lighthearted in this situation? Then, she looked around them, and realized that the Godfathers were all dead, with nails stuck to their backs. The man had killed them all so quickly she didn't even notice it. He must be the Zoldick that Kuroro was talking about; the difference in strengths was too obvious. She had to be more cautious now.

"You don't remember?" the man asked. "the Hunters Exam? Killua?"

"I've never attended the Hunters Exam," said Shoga.

"That's strange… ah! I know!" the man struck his fist into the palm of his other hand. "You must've lost your memory!"

Shoga raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Let's get the job done now," the man changed the subject and walked to the dead bodies of the Godfathers. "I knew Kuroro wasn't going to trust me. I didn't expect you were a Spider, though."

Suddenly, there was a big explosion that came from underneath. Shoga looked toward the floor. If she remembered correctly, Kuroro went to the lower floor. He couldn't be in trouble, could he? "Don't worry, my client should still be alive," ensured the man as if he knew what she was thinking. After that, the man turned some kind of monitor toward one of the Godfathers' face and activated his Nen.

"We were plunged into chaos, but everything's normal now," the man made the Godfather say, "The boss of the Genei Ryodan has been eliminated."

The man then took out a pager and dialed. "Father, it's me. Is my client still alive? …that's good. Tell him that the Godfathers are eliminated, and I expect the payment in my bank account by tomorrow."

_Beep—_

The man clicked the pager off and walked toward a speechless Shoga. He handed her a business card; it took her a second to realize to accept it.

"Even though you don't remember, I guess you can still be called an acquaintance," said the man as he looked at her expressionlessly. "I'm Illumi Zoldick. If you need anyone killed, call me. I can give you a 20% discount."

The man named Illumi left Shoga standing there, trying to let things sink in. As Illumi left there were two others that accompanied him. They hid their presence so well that Shoga didn't notice them until now. One was an extremely old man, and the other was a young girl dressed in kimonos. Shoga had thought that she was hallucinating, but…

She could've sworn that the young girl was glaring daggers at her.

**

* * *

**

The auction resumed almost as soon as the fake message was spread out. Fake auction pieces were being sold, and no one would've ever noticed because Koltopi's copies were flawless. Everything happened as if they were normal. Only one person, Kurapika, was still not willing to believe the rumor that the Ryodan was eliminated. No matter who he went to, everyone seemed to assure him that the boss of the Ryodan was killed.

"The auction has begun?" Kurapika asked two guards inside the Cemetery Building.

"Yeah," one of the guards said in relief, "I was told that the leader of Genei Ryodan was killed."

"And now they're taking care of the rest of the Ryodan," the other added. "Pros are really something!"

Kurapika gritted his teeth. _No way…_ the redness in his eyes started to surface behind his black lenses. _I won't believe it until I see their corpses with my own eyes. _

Following the directions that the guards gave me, Kurapika speeded down the hall and to the place where the leader of the Ryodan was found. The place was all chaos. Walls crumbled down and evidence of battle was clear. Against one of the destroyed walls laid the body of a young man covered in blood. His left arm gone, his chest a mess of blood and muscle, and his black eyes empty. Kurapika's heart pounded as he stared at the corpse with his eyes wide open. He didn't want to believe it, but it was right before his eyes.

"This is the leader?" one of the mafia men examined the young man's face.

"He's really young," commented another, "Don't damage the body. We need to broadcast the pictures on the web."

"Hey! Here's another one!" said another as he moved out of the way. "She's really young, too!"

And then shifting his eyes to the side, he saw something more unbelievable. Next to the body of the man he'd hated all his life, there laid another body of a young girl. Her dark red hair all burnt on the bottom, and blood streamed out from her eyes and ears. But even with these damages, Kurapika couldn't mistake the girl's face.

Kurapika put a hand to his mouth, something came up behind from his throat as he realized who the young girl was.

"…Ginger…?"

**

* * *

**

The York Shin mission turned out to be a great success. After moving all the auction pieces back to the hideout, Shalnark brought mountains of canned beers out from nowhere. Everyone celebrated their accomplishment, and they forgot all about the tenseness that existed few days before. Shoga was especially happy tonight, because she was able to reconcile with Nobunaga.

"Hey, Nobunaga," Shoga went up to the swordsman a little red in the face and a can in hand. No one could tell if it was from embarrassment or the alcohol. "I overreacted earlier today. I'm sorry. But I'm only saying sorry because Kuroro told me to!"

Nobunaga glanced at Kuroro, who smiled. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. Let's just chug down this beer and forget about it!"

"I agree!" Shoga grinned and clanked their cans together, finishing the whole thing in one go. "So where are they kids?"

Nobunaga's face suddenly darkened. "They got away…"

"What?" Shoga repeated incredulously, and then started laughing so hard that she had to hold on to her stomach. "AHAHA! I can't believe you let two _kids_ get away! Oh god, my stomach hurts!"

"Shut up!" Nobunaga growled and got red in the face.

"Hey, hey! I was looking for you, Shoga!" Phinx suddenly waltzed up behind Shoga and put his arm over her shoulder. His hand dangled in front of her face with a new can of beer. "I see you're all out of booze! Here!"

"Thanks!" Shoga took the can into her hand and laughed. "Phinx! You are so drunk!"

"Hey, I can say the same for you!" Phinx smirked, pointing at her red cheeks. "Oh, and to congratulate you for finally reuniting with us after so long, I stole this from one of the rich mafia guys tonight for you!"

Phinx reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring with the biggest garnet stone Shoga had ever seen. Shoga's eyes widened in astonishment, and then narrowed after a second.

"You took this from a dead body, and you're giving it to me?"

"Hey! For your information, I grabbed it from him before he dropped to the floor!" Phinx defended himself. "I just thought this color would suit you!"

"I'm just teasing you, Phinx. Thanks! You're the best!" Shoga turned to face Phinx, and gave him a kiss on the check.

Nobunaga's jaws suddenly dropped and backed away several feet. Phinx's face, instead of turning red, turned into a mix of blue and green like dead fish. Shoga blinked in confusion, but Phinx just scooted away from her as if she was possessed by a ghost. She didn't realize that he was looking beyond her, until he started to shake his head and stutter.

"Da-da-da-danchou!" Phinx pointed at her. "I-I-I didn't do anything! It was her! You-you saw it!"

Shoga suddenly felt a cold aura behind her. She turned around to find Kuroro standing there, towering over her. Before she could react, the can in her hand was taken away and ended up in Kuroro's hand. He smiled a pleasant smile at her, but all she felt was an eerie coldness.

"Shoga," he said in a happy tone, "you drank too much."

"No, I didn't!" Shoga retorted, eyeing her stolen can. "I only had six!"

"Go to your room," he said, more commanding this time. The garnet ring in her hand suddenly disappeared as well. "You need to rest."

"But we're all celebrating!"

Kuroro eyed Phinx and Nobunaga.

"Ah—AH!" Phinx exclaimed, "Oh man! I'm so tired from today! Aren't you tired, Shoga?"

"Yeah! You should be really tired!" Nobunaga joined in, and pushed Shoga lightly. "You should go rest, Shoga! We're all gonna call it a day in a minute!"

Shoga frowned disappointedly. "Fine! I'll go to my room! Don't push me!"

With that, Shoga hobbled away and into the hall while everyone sighed in relief. She felt her way through the dark and found her room after a long search. The sudden change from all the cheering to quietness made her feel nauseous. She rubbed her eyes and plopped down on her bed. She tried to sleep, but her head hurt too much for her to relax.

_Maybe I have painkillers in the drawer…_ Shoga thought as she opened her drawer and dug around with her hand. _Hm? What's this?_

Feeling something unfamiliar in her drawer, she grabbed it brought it in front of her. After getting a closer look and realizing what it is, Shoga widened her eyes and was completely rid of her drunkenness.

"Why… do I have this?"

She frowned at the object in her hands—a Hunters License assigned to the name Ginger.

**

* * *

**

TBC.

A/N: I wanted to cry for Kurapika at this point in the series T-T


	27. Prediction X Fear X Last Time

A/N: As you read this chapter, please listen to "Kanashimi wa Yuki ni Nemuru" by alan.

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Prediction X Fear X Last Time**

Shoga had a hard time falling asleep. When the first ray of sunlight snuck through her window, that was when she fell asleep. Maybe it was the warmth from the sun that soothed her, but she still felt cold in the back. She slept through all morning and afternoon. She finally woke up when the sun began to set. The bright red sunlight made her feel dizzy, or maybe she slept for too long. But in her hands, she still grasped the Hunter License tightly.

Suddenly, a wave of murderous aura came from the center of the building. The one that was going wild was Nobunaga; something must've upset him. Shoga contemplated, and put the Hunter License in her pocket, and left her room.

When she entered the lobby, Nobunaga and Hisoka were at a standstill, their weapons out and everything. Nobunaga had a furious expression on his face. She looked at Kuroro, who had his hands folded in front of his mouth, and a very scary expression. A shadow was cast over part of his face, and Shoga felt as if she shouldn't talk to him right now.

"What's going on here?" she asked Shalnark.

"It seems like Hisoka has been selling out our information to the chain guy," Shalnark answered calmly. "Although, we do not know if he'd done it purposefully or under control."

"What?" Shoga's gaze shot toward Hisoka.

"Danchou was making predictions on all the members," Shalnark continued to explain. "It seems like five of us will die next week if we leave York Shin. But if we stay at York Shin, we also face the threat of the chain user, who now has most of our information."

Shoga looked toward Kuroro; he was making a decision now. To stay or not, Shoga wished for Kuroro to make them stay. No matter what, she didn't want five of her friends to die.

"Shoga," Kuroro looked up at her suddenly, handing her a blank paper. "Write down your full name, date of birth, and blood type here."

Shoga did as he said and handed it back to him. Kuroro then activated Lovely Ghost and wrote down her prediction. As it was finished, Kuroro gave it back to her, and motioned for her to read it.

_The cards in your hand will not bring you victory,_

_Even if you carry the ace._

_As you wonder which direction you shall go,_

_You have already reached your destination._

_Stay in the game as you are right now._

_The pages in the storybook will uncoil, _

_But you know what you truly want._

_Your end is where you look back._

The prediction ended there. Shoga stared at the words in confusion; she didn't know what these words meant. What did it mean that she has already reached her destination? What did it mean that she knows what she truly wants? She was hoping to get something about the Hunter License from the prediction, but she still didn't get a clue. Was it that insignificant that it shouldn't appear in the prediction? Then why was it bothering her so much?

"It seems like Shoga is the fifth person to die, along with Shizuku, Pakunoda, Hisoka, and me," Shalnark said as he looked over her shoulder at her prediction. "Danchou… should we stay or withdraw?"

Shoga moved her eyes away from the paper and unto Kuroro, who looked back at her with a stern expression.

"We stay."

**

* * *

**

It was then decided that the Ryodan will stay in York Shin, and continue to hunt down the chain user. It seemed better to destroy the threat here than to face the unseen if they leave York Shin. Kuroro devided everybody into groups. Shizuku, Machi, and Pakunoda. Koltopi, Phinx, and Feitan. Shalnark, Nobunaga, Shoga, and Kuroro. And lastly, Hisoka, Franklin, and Bonolenov will stay at the hideout.

"The chain user is after the scarlet eyes as we can tell from Hisoka's prediction," said Kuroro. "Koltopi, were there any pupils from the auction?"

"Yes, there were," said Koltopi. "I made a copy of those."

"Can you find where it is?"

"Yes, I just need to touch the originals."

The members started to look for the original of the scarlet eyes. During this whole time Shoga felt very numb. She helped move around auction pieces, but she barely knew what she was doing. Of course, nobody noticed her strangeness, except one.

"I found it," said Shizuku amongst a pile of boxes.

Koltopi took over the jars that contained the scarlet eyes. Placing a hand over it, Koltopi acticated his Nen. Within a second, he detected where the copy was.

"The copies are about 2500 meters, in that direction."

Kuroro flipped out a map of York Shin, and searched in the direction that Koltopi pointed to. "2500 meters in that direction… Hotel Beach Takuru."

Then, Shalnark and Koltopi were switched in teams, and they were ready to begin the hunt. Kuroro ordered everyone to start heading out. They had around two hours to locate the scarlet eyes before Koltopi's Nen wear off. Shoga, finally couldn't hold it in anymore, stopped Kuroro briefly before he stepped outside.

"What is it, Shoga?" he asked. "We don't have a lot of time."

"Kuroro…" Shoga said uncertainly, "Are you hiding something from me?"

Kuroro didn't answer. He turned around to face Shoga; she couldn't tell anything from his eyes. Knowing that Kuroro isn't going to say anything, Shoga continued.

"Why are you letting Hisoka stay? He betrayed the Ryodan."

"He may be under a contract."

"Does that matter?" Shoga began to feel anxious. She was getting afraid of what Kuroro was saying, but she didn't know why.

Kuroro leaned closer to Shoga, speaking with a bit of haste. "He is a link to the chain user."

Shoga frowned; even with Kuroro's reassurance, the hunch in her guts still told her that everything was going wrong.

"Kuroro… can I trust you?"

"Everything is for the Ryodan, Shoga," Kuroro answered sternly.

Shoga nodded quietly. Standing on her toes, Shoga placed her lips upon the reversed cross on Kuroro's forehead. No matter what happens, Shoga only wanted to trust Kuroro. She didn't care if she was selfish, or if Kuroro did something against her. Even if the Ryodan had to perish, even if she herself had to disappear, without Kuroro there was nothing. There's only one person she could trust when she couldn't even trust herself, and that was Kuroro.

**

* * *

**

The Spiders were on the move. Out from the alleys to the big streets of York Shin, the Spiders moved rapidly through every block. Nobody could catch a glimpse of them. Finding out that the copy of the scarlet eyes was moving away now, the Spiders began to hurry. The clock was ticking, and the copy may disappear any time soon. And the lives of many people rest uninsured for this night. The rain fell down hard as if to wash away the cries of people.

"We're being followed," said Kuroro as they made their way down the city center.

"Since when?" Machi asked.

"We jumped in head-first," said Shizuku. "We didn't pay attention and we got followed."

"Damn!" Nobunaga cursed under his breath. "Front or back… which one is the chain user?"

"Nobu! Paku! Koltopi! Shoga! You four chase after the one in the front!" Kuroro commanded. "Shoga, you're the fastest. Get there as fast as you can, but keep a distance with Nobu. I don't want any individual movements."

"Roger!" Shoga said before dashing full speed ahead, vanishing out of sight with the blink of an eye, the other three followed behind her. Kuroro, Machi, and Shizuku stopped abruptly to face the followers from behind.

"Koltopi! Where is the copy right now?" Shoga shouted without slowly down.

"Very close!" Koltopi shouted back. "It's slowly down! He probably got stuck in the traffic jam!"

"All right!"

"Oi, Shoga! You better not do anything to that guy before I get there!" shouted Nobunaga as a warning. "The chain user is mine to kill!"

"You can have him!" Shoga threw him an eye-roll. "I don't want to kill him anyway!"

Surprised by what she said herself, Shoga slowed down for a millisecond. The weird feeling from the morning was coming back again. She shook her head to get rid of it. Fortunately, Koltopi was able to pull her back to reality.

"He's there! The black car over there!"

Locking her gaze onto the car that Koltopi was pointing to, Shoga saw the dark-skinned man driving in the car with an anxious expression. That man was scared; Shoga could sense it from his aura. "Stop him, Shoga!" she heard from behind her. Shoga leapt over the cars in her war, and landed next to the targeted car, right next to the driver's seat. The man looked at her in shock, but before he could say a thing, Shoga broke through the window with her elbow.

"Woof!" one of the dogs in the car sudden jumped up and bit at her hand. Shoga looked at it in disgust, grabbed it by its neck, and threw it to the back seats with the other dogs. Unlocking the car door with her free hand, she opened it and looked down at the man, who was trembling madly.

"Get out of the car," she said in a dangerous tone.

The man had no choice but to come out. He shooed his dogs away, knowing that his life would end here today. By this time, Nobunaga and the others had already caught up. Pakunoda bound the man's hands to his back, and put them in a dead lock. Nobunaga pointed his sword at him, ready to attack at any moment. Shoga stepped back.

"If you move a muscle, I'll kill you," Nobunaga warned.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions," Pakunoda said, "One of your comrades uses a chain, right? Where is he?"

"What are you talking about?" the man shouted in resistance. "I belong to the Nostrad Family! Do you know what the mea—Uwahh!"

Pakunoda broke the man's right arm. "Just answer, or I'll break your left arm next."

"I told you not to move, didn't I?" Nobunaga said.

"What happened to Ubougin?" Pakunoda pressed. "The large guy you captured."

"He escaped!" the man answered quickly. "I don't know what happened after that!"

"Where are your comrades?"

"Headquarters! I was on my way to meet up with them!"

Pakunoda smiled faintly. "It isn't nice to lie…"

"It's the truth! Why would I bother to lie in a situation like this?" the man defended himself, but even Shoga could tell that he was lying, not to mention Pakunoda. His aura was a mess, but Shoga applauded for his determination. Even at the edge of death, the guy still wouldn't sell out his comrades.

_If it was Ubou, he would've done the same…_

"I'll ask you one more time," Pakunoda continued to ask, "Where is the chain user?"

"I'm telling you I don't know!" the man exclaimed. "None of my comrades uses a chain!"

"Last question. Is there someone important to you?"

"What?"

"Oh, Elisa, so that's her…" Pakunoda smirked. "She's pretty."

Shoga felt the level of the man's aura rise to exceed his own limits. The idea of someone he loved being in danger struck him deeply. He was furious, scared, nervous, petrified, hating, all at the same time. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to save him.

"YOU BASTARDS!" the man bellowed. "IF YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON HER HEAD, I'LL—"

Nobunaga swung his sword before the man could finish his sentence. Shoga couldn't help but close her eyes at the sight of the man's head flying away from his neck. She heard a thud on the wet floor, and looked to see the man's head lying before her feet. His eyes wide open, as if looking back at her, cursing her. Shoga suddenly felt sick in the stomach. The man reminded her so much of the people that she cared about. How different was he from her? How different was he from the people she loves?

_"Oi! Get out of the front line, chibi! Leave these bastards to me and support us from the back!"_

_ "Shoga, you're not allowed to leave me."_

_"Bwahaha! I knew it! I knew you wouldn't die that easily! But you hadn't come back in so long that I started to doubt myself!"_

_ "You're the only one I can trust, Shoga."_

"Let's go, Shoga," Pakunoda called for her. Nobunaga and Koltopi already moving ahead.

"Oh… yes…" Shoga said shakily before taking a step. She almost tripped over her own feet in the process. Pakunoda observed Shoga's actions, noticing how pale her face was and how inattentive she was being.

"Shoga, you've been strange today," Pakunoda said, stopping to face her directly. "Ever since you joined us in the evening, and when we were looking for the copy of the scarlet eyes."

"Paku…" Shoga looked at Pakunoda warily, surprised that she had noticed. "Paku… I don't feel like I'm doing the right thing…"

Pakunoda raised her eyebrow. "There's no right or wrong in what we do. We just do what we want to."

"But we didn't have to, did we?" Shoga asked, as if asking herself. "He wasn't the chain user, and he wasn't threat to us. Did we have to kill him?"

"His comrade killed Ubou."

"…" Shoga frowned; there was nothing that she could retort with. She couldn't even understand what she was thinking anymore.

"Shoga," Pakunoda said, standing right before her.

"Go back to the hideout if you can't handle this mission."

**

* * *

**

As Shoga made her way back to the hideout, her mind was all a mess. She didn't return to the hideout right away when she was told to. She knew it was probably a bad idea to withdraw herself from the mission. It wasn't Kuroro's order, but she listened anyway. Well, not really. Shoga strolled around the city and thought about many things. But the more she thought, more questions surfaced.

She could somewhat come to a point that she'd forgotten something—something very important. She thought about it, and realized that even the way she thought was different. For some reason, she felt like she was a different person. And all of this had to do with Ginger, the name that the kids called her, the name that was registered on that Hunters License in her pocket. She took the card out and stared at it.

"Ginger… who are you…?" she murmured.

_Is it better if you were me…?_

_What would you do if you were me…?_

Shoga felt lost. She didn't know where to go. In the past, she'd never thought of what's right or wrong. She only did things that she was told to. They were all for the Ryodan. But now, she wasn't sure if she was doing the best for the Ryodan, for herself, or for Kuroro.

"Meow~"

In the corner of the street, Shoga spotted a black cat hiding from the rain. The black cat had big, clear, black eyes. They were like Kuroro's.

_Yes… that's right…_

_I should just ask Kuroro…_

_ He'll know what I should do…_

Shoga took out her phone finally, and dialed Kuroro's number. However, after ringing for a few times, nobody picked up from the other side. Shoga thought it weird, but didn't give much thought to it. They might've tracked down the chain user, and were taking care of him right now. Shoga sat on the side of the street, waiting a while before she called again.

"Nhn~ Seems like I found a lost little kitten~"

Shoga shivered at the voice that sounded behind her. She looked around to see the one man she'd detested all her life—Hisoka. From the direction he came from, she could tell that he left his post at the hideout.

"You should go back to the hideout~" Hisoka said, smirking. "Or else your beloved Kuroro will be in danger~"

Shoga widened her eyes at Hisoka's bold statement. "What do you mean?"

"Kuroro has been captured by the chain user~ and he's being used as hostage~" Hisoka explained, happy to see Shoga's shocked expression. "He's telling you guys to stay at the hideout, or else he'll kill Kuroro. Well~ I'm going to find him, though~ this will be a rare chance after all~"

"Don't be joking with me! I have to go find him!" Shoga said immediately. "Take me to him, Hisoka! You must know where they are, if you're talking like that!"

"You don't care if the chain guy kills Kuroro?"

"If he can, he would've done it without making useless rules and plans!" Shoga exclaimed, getting agitated. She needed to save Kuroro. "And if he does kill Kuroro, I'll kill him and everything precious to him! I just don't want my friends to die out of my sight again!"

"Hehehe~ I love you the most when you're worked up like this~" Hisoka smiled widely, his eyes forming into thin lines. "Well~ Sorry, little kitten~ but I can't take you with me~"

"Why not?"

"One, if you go there, the chain guy might kill Kuroro," Hisoka said bluntly. "Two, if he doesn't kill Kuroro, you will interfere in my fight with Kuroro~"

"Hisoka, please! I'll do anything for you!"

"It's too bad, little kitten~ but this time, you're still not of use to me~"

"Hisoka, take me there! Or I'll—"

"Do you think you can beat me, little kitten~?"

"…"

"Well~ this is a bit of a waste, but~" said Hisoka as he turned away from her and walked off. "I won't see you again, little kitten~"

Hisoka disappeared behind the curtains of rain. He'd hid his presence, and with the sound of rain Shoga could not hear his footsteps. At that moment, Shoga suddenly felt sad. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she thought that it was because Hisoka left. But that's a ridiculous reason. She never wanted to see that clown again. Besides, she needed to get back to the hideout quickly, and find out what the situation was. She could afford to lose anyone, but she couldn't afford to lose Kuroro.

**

* * *

**

When Shoga got back to the hideout, all of the members except for Pakunoda were already there. There was a lot of tension among everyone. There were two groups with differing opinions. As Shoga stepped in, they were still arguing.

"Shoga! Where were you this whole time?" asked Phinx angrily.

Shoga did not answer him. She turned to Shalnark and asked, "What happened? What did I miss?"

"The chain user called back, and proposed a trade. The hostages on our side need to be brought to the trading location by Pakunoda and Pakunoda alone, and she cannot tell us the location. If we follow her, he'll kill Danchou."

"And where's Pakunoda?"

"She went off by herself," Shalnark said. "We were arguing whether or not to follow her, but it's too late now."

"Damn…" Shoga cursed. "If I hadn't left the mission… I could've followed her…"

"Shoga… are you saying that you don't care if Danchou dies?" Machi asked darkly.

"No, I just think that the chain user wouldn't go around the matter in such a big circle if he could really kill Kuroro," Shoga said, "I will not let Kuroro die, even if I die myself."

"Pfft… that doesn't sound like something you would say…" Feitan commented.

"I can't think of any other way, and I can't just let things happen as the chain user wishes," Shoga said, her fists tightened so hard that her knuckles turned white, her body shaking from uneasiness. "I don't know what Kuroro would think in this situation… he'll probably want the Spider to survive after all this. But I don't want to live in a world without Kuroro! I don't want Kuroro to die, and not be able to do anything! But…"

_Why is it always at times like this…_

"Why don't I have what it takes? Why do I always miss the chance?"

_If I had something that Hisoka would want…_

_ If I hadn't been thinking all the weird thoughts…_

_ If I had been with Kuroro all the time…_

"I hate it… I can't do a thing…"

"Shoga…" the others stared at Shoga in astonishment. They have never seen Shoga act like this. It was always just listening to Kuroro's orders. Shoga never had any wishes. Shoga never questioned. Shoga never disobeyed Kuroro. Shoga never acted on her own.

But the Shoga right now, in front of them, reminded them a little bit of themselves.

"Pakunoda's back!" said Shizuku in the midst of the tension-filled room.

With a strangely emotionless face, Pakunoda walked into the hideout alone. But Shoga saw something different. Even with such an emotionless face, Shoga could feel the waves of emotion with the flow of Pakunoda's aura. She was sad, but she's done all she can. And now, she was only pleading…

"Where's Danchou?" Phinx asked.

"He can't come here," Pakunoda answered.

"What?" Phinx said through gritted teeth. "You're really pissing me off! Explain yourself clearly!"

"I will," said Pakunoda. Raising her gun in hand, she put up a faint smile. "Do you trust me… enough to accept what I'm going to send you?"

"Paku!" Machi exclaimed, sensing something bad through her intuition.

"What are you doing? Are you manipulated by the chain guy?" Phinx shouted.

"Phinx," putting a hand on Phinx's shoulder, Nobunaga stopped him. "Trust her. She's Paku."

"Shoga…" Pakunoda turned to Shoga with a sad smile. Something Shoga has never received from Pakunoda. Shoga frowned at the way Pakunoda spoke; it felt like she was leaving them. "I'm going to return everything to you. Only as Ginger and Shoga together… will you be able to help Danchou…"

"What are you talking about?" Shoga asked worriedly. "Paku, don't do it!"

"I'm going to send you guys… everything I know."

Pakunoda fired the bullets to each of the original members of the Ryodan. And then, Shoga remembered everything—all the adventures she endured with Jin, all the years at Whale Island with Gon, meeting Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika at the Hunters Exam, all the snippets of events with Hisoka, all the things that happened that she had forgotten. She remembered it all. And everything that happened through Pakunoda's eyes while she was away.

When Shoga opened her eyes again, they were filled with tears.

But through the blurriness of water, she saw clearly the body of Pakunoda in front of her, drenched in blood.

**

* * *

**

TBC.

A/N: It's so hard to write what I want to write in actual words! I hope this isn't disappointing. I felt really said writing Hisoka for the last time. Maybe there's hidden confession there somewhere, hehe. Anyway, it has finally come to the last couple of chapters… I'm a little sad. Next chapter will be the York Shin Arc through Paku's eyes… poor Paku, so sad when she died. Thank you all for reading up to this point! I hope you all have a great holiday!


	28. Envy X Friendship X Regrets

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Envy X Friendship X Regrets**

PAKUNODA POV! PAKUNODA POV! PAKUNODA POV! PAKUNODA POV!**  
**

There's no point hiding it anymore. In fact, I shouldn't have hid it in the first place. But many things have gone wrong because of certain things I never got to say, and because of me making the wrong decisions at crucial times. In the end, I have many regrets. But regrets can never bring me what I wish for. And what I wish for, I can only wish, and hope that through my memories, my dear friends will learn everything and do what I couldn't do. And Shoga, if you can hear this, I have so much to say to you—all the things I didn't get to say since I met you, because of my stubbornness. But first thing first… I want to say sorry.

Indeed, ever since we were young, I have always been a little envious of Shoga. The Ryodan was a group of talented persons; everyone had their own specialties. But Danchou was different. Nobody would say otherwise. Being the one to bring us together, everyone agreed that Danchou had a special aura within him that made him the only person capable of leading us. And so, for such a long time, Danchou was like a king, but also a friend. Everyone respected him.

But I had always thought that it was hard to know what Danchou is thinking of. I think many of us would agree with me. And because of this, none of us really understood him. And none of us could really get close to him. None of us except Shoga.

Shoga was the last one to join out of the originals from Meteor Street. That day, Danchou brought her to the hideout and introduced her as one of us, without even knowing her name. All of us were a bit clueless at that time, but we accepted whatever Danchou decided to do. But one thing I do remember—the look on Danchou's face. It was the same, faint smile that he always had, but somehow I felt that he was truly pleased at that time.

It was clear to all of us that Danchou spoiled Shoga a lot, even though we didn't know why. Shoga was just like any other girl; maybe a bit naïve, a bit childish, a bit sensitive, but she wasn't any special. But not after long, Shoga became the only person that called Danchou by his name. The seat next to Danchou became reserved for Shoga. Shoga became the only person that could touch Danchou. And eventually, because of her closeness to Danchou, she became loved by everyone in the Ryodan. But not me. I was cold toward her. She probably didn't know why at all, but I was only jealous… jealous that the mind of the person I admire the most was so occupied by her.

_"Paku, what are you doing?"_

I used to glare at the girl when she called me by 'Paku.' It was a nickname that was used by people who were closed to me. Shoga has always been such a clueless person; she didn't even know how much I disliked her. But even so, she never hated me.

_"Paku, I didn't have anybody until I met Kuroro. I was always alone in Meteor Street. In fact, the first thing I can remember was just the life of Meteor Street, not of my parents or anything else. If it weren't for Kuroro, I wouldn't even be talking right now. Kuroro is important to me, and the Ryodan is important to me. So even if you don't like me, I'm going to keep bugging you as if you're my friend!"_

I didn't understand it back then, but I think I can understand now.

Shoga and Danchou were like polar opposites. Shoga never questioned anything, and only did what she was told to. Shoga and Danchou were so different that they became similar. There was no one that could be level with Danchou except for Shoga.

"_It's confirmed; Number Four is dead."_

It seems to me that I always realize things a bit too late. Before I could finally warm up to Shoga, she left us. I think the world was always doing the same thing—knocking everything over when things were finally getting better. It just so happened that Hisoka picked Shoga to fight with; it's not like he knew that she wasn't specialized in fighting, it was all chance. But chance is really the one thing that can mess up your life completely when it comes.

And then, since that day, we never mentioned Shoga again. Danchou lead us away, leaving Shoga's dead body to rot away in the wild. Maybe, that was the only time that I was ever upset with Danchou's decision.

**

* * *

**

I don't remember how long it was—the period without Shoga. It must've been at least four to five years. The new member, Hisoka, was not nearly a team player as Shoga. He barely attended any of the meetings, and he never participated in any missions unless he had to. But because the limit of his power was unknown, no one decided to do anything about it. Only Ubou, the simple-minded man, would complain about it to Danchou with honest words. And really, we all agreed with him.

"_Danchou! That Hisoka is getting on my last nerve! I bet he doesn't even want to be in the Ryodan! Can we please kick him out?"_

"_That's breaking the rules, Ubou."_

"_Damn it… if I had fought that clown… Shoga would've never died…"_

Like Ubou, all of us wished that Shoga never left us. Even if she was a bit childish and a bit stubborn, but aren't we all? One thing was true and that was the fact that Shoga saw us as friends. She trusted us wholeheartedly, and we trusted her. And we waited for the day that Shoga comes back, if she was alive at all.

Little did we know, several years passed, as we were all moving toward York Shin City for a big mission, everyone received a simple message from Machi's phone. It was short, but it made our hearts thump and filled it with hope.

"_I saw Shoga at the Sky Arena."_

After that, things happened like a chain reaction. When we arrived at York Shin, Shalnark, being the only one there at the new hideout, told us that Danchou was away for a personal business. Machi had a feeling that it had to do with Shoga, and we all hoped the same way. And as if to answer our wish, Danchou came back a couple of days later with Shoga. Even with the blonde hair and a bit of fatigue, Shoga looked the same as before. I was the last one there to see her; she was surrounded by everyone, with a bitter smile on her face, trying to fight back her tears. Shoga always showed her emotions easily.

For a brief moment, I felt like I couldn't hear anything, as Shoga turned her head and saw me standing from afar. She looked at me, ignoring the ones around her. For a few minutes we just stared at each other. And, out of relief and happiness and everything else that I'm unable to name—I smiled.

"_Welcome home, Shoga."_

Tears ran down her cheeks.

**

* * *

**

It was obvious to all of us that Shoga was different from before. Now that I think about it, she really didn't change much at all. Maybe she started to have her own opinion about things, maybe started to question, maybe she matured a little, but nothing really changed. Shoga was still our comrade. The last thing she would want was for any of us to get hurt. But at that time, we couldn't realize it. It's natural that people are afraid of changes, no matter how small they are. I was the same; I was afraid that Shoga would betray the Ryodan, and I was afraid that the distance between us grew again.

_"Shoga, we all have secrets, and I don't care so much about everything you have to hide, but if you're hiding something from Danchou, and it's something that's important to the Ryodan, I will consider you a traitor."_

Shoga frowned at my accusations and looked hurt. I knew that my words would hurt her, but I have nothing better to say. I wanted to warn her. She was hiding too many things, and there shouldn't be any hiding among the Spiders. I was really a hypocrite; I was never honest with my words when I talked to Shoga. But I just can't seem to melt down my icy tone when I talked with her; it was like a habit or something.

_"What are you accusing of me? I know you've never liked me much since the beginning when we met, but if you're suspecting, why don't you use your power on me and see for yourself?"_

I was stung by Shoga's words. I felt the distance between us grew. I never want to use my power on any of the Ryodan members. I want to think that I don't need to. But at that time, I was afraid to see into Shoga's memories. I was afraid to find out that Shoga has really changed. And Danchou seemed to have thought same about her, so he decided to wipe out her memories.

_"No… please, Kuroro… please…"_

Shoga pleaded with mess of tears all over her face. I didn't think much about how she felt at that time, because Danchou's orders were absolute. And then, I ended the life of Ginger.

**

* * *

**

After wiping away her memories, Shoga was back with us. However, I still felt like she was a bit different. She shouldn't be. There's no glitch in my Nen at all. I wondered what kind of things she went through, what kind of people she met, that the influence on her was so strong that it became part of her. I understood it all only after it was too late.

Everything started when the plans changed after Ubou was killed by the chain user. In the day, we were all out to search for information on the chain user. We couldn't find anything. But clues came to us on their own. Two kids followed Machi and Nobunaga back to the hideout, saying that they wanted the rewards on our heads. Of course, I searched their memories about the chain guy. There was nothing about the chain user in their memories; however, I saw Shoga in their memories. The Shoga with blonde hair, who smiled warmly and helped out the kids at their time of need. They called her Ginger.

I wasn't wrong about the kids knowing Shoga. The kid with black hair was surprised to see her with us, but Shoga didn't remember him. It confirmed the idea that the Shoga before was hiding secrets to protect these kids. But why? Why were these kids important?

I didn't like that she had other people besides the Ryodan in her mind.

Ever since those kids came, Shoga has been acting weirder and weirder. She was always thinking about something. She started to look at Danchou strangely, and she avoided talking to any of us. When we were all trying to find the original copy of the scarlet eyes, she was very careless and her mind was totally somewhere else. She didn't even notice that I was looking at her the whole time. Even when we were on the move to catch the chain user, she had something on her mind.

Shoga was the leader when Nobunaga, Koltopi, and I were on the chase. My doubts grew bigger and bigger when she closed her eyes as Nobunaga cut off the man's head.

_"Paku… I don't feel like I'm doing the right thing…"_

She said to me, looking very tired. That was something that I've never seen from Shoga. Even if she was lazy, she was always full of energy. She never thought about right or wrong. Everything Danchou told her to do, she would just do it. It made me really confused; even after I've erased her memories, why was she still different?

_"Go back to the hideout if you can't handle this mission."_

**

* * *

**

As if to add on to my already-troubled mind, things just got worse and worse after I sent Shoga back to the hideout. Once again, chance chose everything wrong. It just so happened that I was a moment too late to read the hostage kids' memories, that Danchou was captured by the chain user when we didn't even notice, and that I was the one chosen to negotiate with the chain user. The chain user shouldn't have known about any of our personalities. If the chain user had chosen someone with a clear head like Shalnark, maybe things wouldn't have happened the way it did. But life was just like that—giving you trouble after trouble.

"_What's important is not that I live, but that the Spider lives."_

I was caught in a great dilemma.

"_Don't ever forget it…"_

In a case like this, what should I do? If I told the others everything about the chain guy, his Nen and his weak points, then the chain guy is no more. But in return, the probability that Danchou would die was very high. Ubou must've died to protect the Ryodan.

If I speak, I betray. If I remain silent, I betray. It's the Spider which must live. I tried to think of what Danchou would do if he was in my position. But I couldn't think of anything. I didn't know how Danchou would think at all. And that's why I decided that the Ryodan still needed Danchou. Even if I have to betray the Ryodan, I wanted to save Danchou. And I wonder… what Shoga would've thought about this.

"_Isolate yourself."_

"_Okay."_

"_You touched someone named Scuwala, correct?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Reading his memory, you know of Senritsu, right?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Okay then, I'll get to the point. First, I forbid you to communicate with your comrade in any way. And to the place that we'll meet, you'll come alone. If we detect any suspicious movements, I'll kill your boss. Understood?"_

I followed the chain user's conditions and let the game go his way. I went to the airship that the chain user told me to go to, and met with him at last. Danchou was there with him, all tied up with his chains. Danchou had his usual face; neither nervous or worried about anything that was happening. If Danchou was able to put up such an expression, that means he'd already figured out how to deal with this situation, right? But I didn't. I didn't know what was the right choice.

In the end, I agreed with all the conditions that the chain user set up. Danchou could not use Nen anymore, and he could not come into contact with any of the Spiders. I, on the other hand, had to turn over the two kids that we held hostage, and I couldn't tell anyone anything that happened. And so I agreed, and let the chain user pierce both Danchou's and my heart with his Judgment Chain.

Before I left I could not look at Danchou's expression. Because while everything was happening, I've always felt that I made the wrong decision. And I didn't want to see Danchou being disappointed at me. But I knew that no matter how many chances I got to make a choice, I would pick Danchou's life every single time.

When I got back to the hideout, Shoga was not there. I didn't have time to linger and ask questions, so I proceeded to take the kids with me. But because of my decision, the Ryodan was split to two sides. One side siding with me, the other wanting to get rid of the hostages. The two sides were ready to fight. But I didn't plan on fighting. No matter what, I was going to take the kids to the chain user. I've already made my decision; there's no going back.

"_Paku… what the hell are you thinking?"_

"_I think she's being manipulated by the chain user. Let's not waste anymore time. I'll get the kids."_

Phinx and Feitan released their Nen; Machi and Koltopi stood before me to cover for me. Tension rose to the highest it's ever been between the Ryodan members. Until finally, the kid with the black hair spoke out.

"_You really don't understand? Why Pakunoda wants to leave without explaining, and why Machi is trying to stop you? They wanna save your boss! Isn't that obvious? What's so hard to understand about wanting to save a comrade?"_

The kid broke apart the chains that we bound him with, and so did his friend. We all looked at them in astonishment. At that moment I saw how clear his eyes were, and how truthfully he spoke every time. I saw them before. They were the eyes that looked at Ginger, and made her grow into something more like him, more like us, and most of all… more like Danchou.

"_Let me ask you something… what kind of person was Ginger like?"_

Outside was pouring rain when I walked out of the hideout with the two kids. I surprised myself a little when I asked them the question. No touching, no Nen, I just wanted to know from their words. The kid with the clear eyes was named Gon. Him, his friend Killua, and the chain user Kurapika were the people that Shoga tried desperately to protect. Even when her memories were going to be taken away, she didn't let anything out. After hearing Gon's speech, I finally understood why she wanted to protect them. They were the same as us. Their friendship and the bond between the Ryodan members… we were all the same in Shoga's eyes.

"…_Ginger-nee is the kind of person that would try to protect anyone that's important to her. I think Ginger-nee isn't someone who would choose sides. She doesn't show it clearly, but she always puts her friends first, that's why I know Ginger-nee would never try to hurt me. And even when she was standing with the Spider, she yelled at me about how she cared for her friend. So I know that Ginger-nee is still the same…"_

I looked at Gon with wide eyes. Everything that he was saying—I should've seen it all along. Why didn't I see it before? I only saw it when everything's too late.

"…_so whatever you took away from Ginger-nee, please give it back to her. If you're someone important to her, you'll always be someone important to her. I don't want to lose a friend like her."_

**

* * *

**

The trading of the hostages was a short process. Danchou was easily returned to us, but he could not come back with me. Simply because he could not contact any of the Spiders anymore. I could not look at Danchou. I could only look at the darkness of his back when I was far away on the airship. I really wished that I could talk to Danchou again at least once. I know that I will not see Danchou again.

I already decided—I was going to reveal everything I know.

Back at the hideout, there were still arguments going on. Only this time, Shoga was back. It was all the better. I was going to give back everything. Because I knew that Shoga and Ginger will go after Danchou, and they will know where Danchou is, and they will protect Danchou in a way that I can't.

_"Shoga… I'm going to return everything to you. Only as Ginger and Shoga together… will you be able to help Danchou…"_

_"Paku, don't do it!"_

As if knowing that my life will end when I fire the bullets, Shoga tried to stop me. I smiled inwardly at this. Thank you, Shoga, for being what a true comrade should be. I really wish that I didn't have to die now, with so many things unsaid. But since I've betrayed the Ryodan, I must compensate for it, and this is my only way. Please, let me be the last one of us to die.

Shoga, if you can hear me… I'm sorry for keeping everything to myself. Sorry for not being able to see everything you've tried to do for the Ryodan. There's so much regret, but nothing can be changed now.

If I could only wish… I wish that I never sent you back to the hideout. I wish that I never excluded you and doubted you.

…For some reason, I feel like if you were there when Danchou was captured, you would know what to do.

Because you're the only one what would know what Danchou wants.

But now, is it okay if I ask to leave the rest to you?

**

* * *

**

TBC.

A/N: Happy New Year to everyone while I write this sad chapter. Paku and Shoga are really similar people, always missing the chances. Anyway, next chapter will be the big finale! I'm excited and sad at the same time!


	29. Eternity

NOTE: Please listen to "Rojou no Kage" by Aya as you read this chapter.

**Trouble is a Friend**

**Eternity**

The sky was cloudless and bright blue after the rain. The sun was just starting to rise, its rays protruding out from the horizon. The light softly adorned the shape of the reversed cross that we placed at the tip of the cliff edge. I looked over to my comrades' faces; everyone dressed in black, placing white flowers on the earth which we buried Paku with. Nobody showed any emotion on their faces, but we were all mourning. Paku did what she could, and we all understood, especially Phinx.

I knelt down in front of Paku's grave and laid down my flowers. I really wish that I could've done something to prevent this. But what's done is done.

_Thank you, Paku, for returning my memories. You've done your best. And to be honest, I would've probably done the same thing as you…_

I took a deep breath, and stood. Everyone had their eyes on me, and I smiled.

"Are you sure you're going to do this?" Shalnark asked.

"Yes," I nodded softly.

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you trust me?"

Shalnark put up his usual smile. "Of course."

"Thank you," I said, walking away from the cliff. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to me or Kuroro."

"Take care of yourself, Shoga," said Machi.

"I will."

Through Paku's Nen bullet, I learned about everything that happened during our missions in York Shin. Honestly, even if I had my memories, I doubt that things would've turned out better than right now. Back then, I was so confused with myself that I couldn't really think straight. So I guess it was a good thing that Paku took away my memories. That way I didn't pick any sides.

Instead of sulking about all the things that I lost, I guess I really should be grateful. I'm beyond happy that nothing has happened to Gon and Killua. And I'm relieved that Kurapika wasn't killed by me or any of my comrades.

I wonder… after all I've done, will they forgive me?

Even if they don't, I figured that I should go see them, because I might not see them again very soon. And I had so much to say to them, especially to Kurapika. I messaged Gon from my phone, and got a reply. I guess I'm not that hated. With my heart pounding, I went to the rundown motel that Gon told me to go to.

* * *

When I arrived at the motel, Gon and Killua were waiting outside for me. They looked at me with straight faces. Neither happy, nor angry. I walked in front of Gon and looked at him in the eyes. I'm back; you don't have to cautious. Gon looked back at me with his big, black eyes. It's amazing how clear Gon's eyes always are; they were the same color as Kuroro's, but they were so different.

"Gon, I'm sorry…"

"You shouldn't say sorry to me," Gon said to me bluntly. "It's Kurapika whom you should say it to."

"I know. That's what I intend to do."

Gon nodded and lead me inside. "Kurapika is in the third room on the right when you turn on that corner," he said as he pointed in a direction. "He has a fever right now. But I think if you say it truthfully, he'll be able to hear you."

"Thank you, Gon."

"Hey," Killua said suddenly, looking at me with warning eyes. "You know if you try to hurt him, we will kill you."

I smile and nodded. "You can try, Killua. We can finish what we started back in the Hunters Exam."

Killua widened his eyes, and pursed his lips as he looked away. "Che… so you got your memory back." He murmured.

I turned away and went down the direction that Gon pointed out for me. As I turned at the corner, I saw Leorio and a shorter person, who must be Senritsu according to Paku's memory, standing guard outside the room Gon was talking about. Senritsu was the first to see me coming; she probably heard my footstep long time ago. She said something to Leorio, and he looked at me. He frowned, and even though I couldn't see his expression well through his shades, I could tell he was a bit nervous about seeing me.

I couldn't say anything different about myself. I was nervous too. But I made my way toward them. Leorio stood straight to face me.

"Ginger… right?"

"Yes…" I said, trying to keep my voice away from shaking. "I came to apologize…"

"You were one of them that destroyed his clan…"

"Yes… and I'm sorry. I don't have any excuses. I'll understand even if you don't forgive me…"

"She's telling the truth," Senritsu said in my defense. "She's truly regretful."

"…" Leorio sighed after a long pause. "I just can't see you as one of them. All those times we spent in the Hunters Exam and saving Killua aren't just a dream." He said as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess you wouldn't have come here if you didn't see us as a friend."

"Thank you, Leorio," I said quietly. Oh no, I feel like crying again.

"Well, hurry and go in," Leorio said, opening the door for me. "He's been worrying about you all this time, you know."

I scurried inside the dark room as Leorio told me to. The door was shut after I got in; faint light came through the small windows. I walked toward the sleeping boy, and as I saw his agonized face, I felt my heart strain. He was sweating a lot and making noises as he slept. He must be having nightmares. I'm sorry for causing you so much pain. I took a towel from the water bin besides him, and wiped away his sweat. It tears my heart that such an angel has to taint his wings because of what we've done in the past.

I reached into the bag that I was carrying, and took out a clear vase. Inside floated a pair of Scarlet Eyes. Machi saw me taking them, but she didn't say a thing.

"I'm giving these back to you and your clan," I said, placing it on a table next to the bed. "If I ever find another pair, I will give them back to you. It's the most that I can do right now…"

Kurapika continued to twist and turn in his bed. I fought back my tears and held on to his trembling hand. Can you hear me, Kurapika? If you can…

"I'm sorry about everything, Kurapika," I choked out my words. "And thank you… thank you for helping me realize my dream. If it weren't for you, I would still be lost. Thank you for making me realize what I want… Sorry… sorry… and thank you…"

* * *

"We didn't tell Kurapika that you were with the Ryodan."

Gon said to me when we were all outside. I had finished talking to Kurapika, and when I came out, they were all waiting for me. I looked at Gon in surprise as he suddenly said that to me.

"When Kurapika saw your corpse at the auction, he thought you were a victim killed by Kuroro," Gon said, looking up at me. "I thought it was best for Kurapika if he kept thinking that way."

I nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Gon."

"So…" Killua said, "what are you planning to do now?"

I looked at Killua, and looked back at Gon, whose expression told me that he wanted to know the same thing. And it's telling me, that he wants me to stay. But as much as I want to stay with Gon, I can't.

"Gon, remember when I first met you, I told you that I traveled with Jin for a while, and you asked me what kind of person Jin was like?"

"Yeah," Gon made a pouty face. "You told me that he was an inconsiderate bastard…"

I laughed. "Well, that part was true. But honestly, now that I think about it, we're pretty similar. In fact, you are too. We are all similar." I knelt down so that I could be at eye-level with Gon. "Jin was obsessed with adventures, that's obvious enough. But because it's what he loves, he'll always be chasing after it, no matter what people try to tell him. You are the same too, Gon, when you are determined to find Jin no matter how hard Mito tried to stop you…"

_"There should be a place, a person, a thing, or a feeling that makes you happy like no other times in your life. Should you remember it, and constantly want to return to it…"_

"Gon… I, too, have someone that I have to chase after," I looked into Gon, saying everything as truly as it can be. "He gave me life; I'm only me because of him. And I'm so happy that I have someone like that…"

"Ginger-nee…" Gon began to say, sadness clearly showing in his eyes.

"But I promise that I will not kill innocent people anymore," I said before Gon can say anything. "Because so many strangers that I've met taught me so much. No matter where I go, I'll never forget…"

"Ginger-nee… I understand… I won't try to stop you…" Gon said with a shaky voice. Finally, Gon opened his arms and threw himself into my embrace. His spiky hair tickled my chin and nose, and my eyes watered up. I felt the cloth of my dress start to become wet. "You were always there for me, Ginger-nee… I'm going to miss you so much…"

Unable to stop myself anymore, I let my tears fall from my eyes. "I'm going to miss you too, Gon. Thank you for everything you've taught me. You taught me so much. I can't even express it in words…"

I was truly thankful. Meeting Gon, meeting Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. They showed me what real friends meant.

"Killua…" I looked up at the cat-eyed boy.

"What?" he asked quickly without looking at me; he probably didn't know how to face my crying face.

"Don't let anything happen to Gon, yeah?"

"Che… you don't need to tell me."

"Leorio…"

"Yeah?"

"Be there for Kurapika," I smiled, wiping away the remaining tears from my cheeks. "You're his real friend."

"Yeah," Leorio smiled back. "I know… and… you are my real friend too."

If only I had more hands to wipe away my tears. I'm going to miss them so much. I hope sometime in the future, I will be able to see them again.

* * *

"I thought you said that we won't see each other again."

As I went to the airport and waited for my airship, I saw a familiar redhead magician leaning against a pillar. He smirked when he saw me, and waved for me to come closer. Surprisingly, even though he was the one who betrayed the Ryodan, I don't feel angry with him. I guess I don't really hate him, because he did help me at times. Can I call him a friend? Not really. He's still the bastard that started the whole thing.

"Nhn~ I just can't give up that easily on someone as mouthwatering as Kuroro~" the magician said in his usual seductive voice. "I'm going to look for someone who can remove Nen, so I can fight with Kuroro."

"Oh, I see. Well, I won't stop you. The rest of the Spider is going to look as well."

"You're not stopping me?" Hisoka repeated with a fake surprised expression. "You're not afraid that I'll kill Kuroro after I find that person?"

"Not at all," I said, smiling confidently. "Don't forget, I'll be there to prevent that."

"Fufufufu~" Hisoka's smile deepened as his eyes squinted from please. He leant down close to me; his nose almost touching mine. "You make me so excited when you look at me like that, little kitten~ what do you say we go to the airport hotel and—"

"No!" I punched him in the guts. I didn't want to hear what he was going to say. "I don't have time to waste!"

"Nhn~ too bad~" Hisoka snickered and began to walk away. "Do you know where Kuroro is? I can ask him for you~ because I'm not a Spider anyway."

"No, I know where he is," I said, sending him away. "Or… I have a hunch about it, at least."

"Fufu… cute~" Hisoka said before finally turning away. "Looking forward to seeing you again, little kitten~"

"Goodbye, Hisoka," I said, reaching into my pocket. The guy put something in there where he got close to me. I took out the playing card that he left for me. It was the red joker.

* * *

"Welcome to Holidays Café! What can I get for you?"

"Strawberry milkshake."

I said to the familiar waitress without giving her a second glance. I made my way to the innermost part of the café, not too fast and not too slow. At the corner seat, I saw the man I've been looking for. His black attire, his black hair, his black eyes contrasted with the bright decorations in the café. He was sitting on the chair that faced the front door; he was looking at me as if he was anticipating me already. That's exactly like how he is. He always knew about what I thought before I even think it.

He smiled faintly as I sat down in front of him.

"Good day, Miss Ginger."

I laughed quietly through my nose. "If you like the ring of that name better, I can go with that name. It's no problem for me."

Kuroro smiled bigger. "No, I like Shoga. I was just joking with you."

"Joking, eh? You're not afraid to die after talking to me?"

"No, I never saw you as a Ryodan member anyway, neither do you think of me as boss," Kuroro said casually, not fearing anything. "Besides, the chain user doesn't know that you're a Spider. The condition can't apply to you."

I thought about it, and nodded in understanding. "I see. You're pretty confident about it."

"I don't do things without thinking it through first."

"What about erasing my memories, huh?" I asked. "Didn't consider that my memories contained so much important information, did you?"

Kuroro looked at me thoughtfully. "No, that was just a punishment for you."

I raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Punishment? What did I do?"

"You were hiding things from me, and you know you aren't supposed to do that with me," Kuroro said as if he was explaining a simple math problem. "I could've really cut off your legs, but I didn't want to do that. So I had to erase your memories as a substitute."

"Those two are so not on the same level!" I exclaimed.

The space between us fell into silence. Until the waitress came and delivered my milkshake, not a word was exchanged between the two of us. It was like the old days, when Kuroro and I went out to eat. We were always quiet, and that was comfortable for both of us. Even after what had happened, we were still sitting here like nothing's happened. I swirled the straw in my cup a couple of times and took a sip. I made a sour face. It wasn't as good as before. I guess Whittle Town is no longer a perfect little town after Kuroro and I got rid of its tyrants. Funny how things turn out this way.

"So… what's next?"

"We move east," Kuroro said, standing up from his seat, and reached out his hand at me. "and see where fate takes us."

I looked at his dark black eyes, never looking away. "Fate can be really cruel sometimes…"

"Don't worry. You're with me, aren't you?"

I widened my eyes in astonishment. I finally see it now. No, I always saw it. In Kuroro's eyes, I saw the same thing that I saw when I first met him in Meteor Street. Only in Kuroro, everything is the same. In Kuroro, chaos and harmony are the same. Ignorance and knowledge are the same. Right and wrong are the same. Sanity and insanity are the same. Passion and serenity… are the same.

He… is the only thing in the world that's unchanging.

And because this, I know… I will follow him wherever he goes. I'm the one that chose this path, and I will never back out. Life can throw any trouble at me. I'm not afraid.

Because eternity is right here with me.

I placed my hand in his, and held on tightly.

* * *

Fin.

* * *

A/N: This is it. This is it! It's kinda hard to believe it's over! I am so so grateful of all my readers! I really didn't think that so many people would like my story! Honestly, I feel really sad. But this is not going to be my last HxH story! I'm working on a Illumi story, and it will be published sometime in the near future. Until then, please support me again! It's a bit late, but I did draw a picture of Ginger and Shoga, and you can find it by going to my tumblr on my profile. Lasty, thank you all so much for reading this story until the end! I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!


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